


Will you be my daddy?

by SasuNarufan13



Series: Difficulties in love [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A bit AU, And yes the killer is a known character, Bottom!Harry, Drama, Ginny Bashing, Lemons, M/M, MPreg later on in the story, Mysterious killer, Past Draco/Daphne, Past Harry/Ginny - Freeform, Slash, Slight Ron and Hermione bashing, Some angst, Takes place a few years after the seventh year, Various shift in povs, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-10-29
Packaged: 2017-12-26 16:09:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 190,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/967942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SasuNarufan13/pseuds/SasuNarufan13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Draco divorced from Daphne, Scorpius is set on finding a second daddy, because Draco told him he only loves men. He has even made a list. Then he meets Harry and he's dead set on getting him as a second daddy. Will he succeed?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Italiano available: [Will you be my daddy?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8512339) by [rieieri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rieieri/pseuds/rieieri)



> So yeah, until now this has been my longest Harry Potter fic. It started out as something to distract myself when I had writer's block in my other stories, yet grew out to a long story that for some strange reason was very popular at other sites (not that I'm complaining of course).  
> So I decided to post it here as well, in the uncensored version.  
> The first sixteen chapters or so are all around 2000 words, but afterwards they grow a lot longer.  
> This story has two plots: one centered around Teddy and Scorpius and one centered around a murder case that Harry is working on, which will reach its climax around the end of story.
> 
> And yes, I am aware that Draco married Astoria instead of her sister Daphne, but that's why it is AU ^^;
> 
> I'm editing the chapters, so I apologize if there are any mistakes left behind.
> 
> I'm planning on updating this story either every day, or various times in the week, depending on how much time I'll have (because school starts again for me in two weeks)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter- J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> I hope you'll like it!

**Chapter 1**

Scorpius sighed softly and dragged his six year old body towards Draco Malfoy, his father.

They were in Diagon Alley to do some shopping. Well, that was the plan until his daddy met his aunty Pansy and now they were chatting.

Scorpius was bored. Maybe he would have fun if his mommy was here. But of course, she wasn't here. His mommy had left daddy when he was four. His mommy told him that she loved uncle Blaise and that she was going to marry him. When Scorpius asked why mommy didn't love his daddy anymore, she answered that daddy could only love a man and that they only had married because daddy wanted a baby.

It took a while before Scorpius truly understood that his daddy only loved men and not women, but he saw no problem. If his daddy was happy if he loved a man, then that was okay. The thought that he would one day have two daddies made him excited. He figured that having two daddies would be more fun than having a mommy and a daddy.

Scorpius had even made a list of how his second daddy should be. He would have to be pretty, because his daddy loved pretty things. His second daddy would be sweet and funny, he would play with Scorpius and cook delicious meals and maybe he could get a brother or sister too. Daddy had said that men also could have babies, if they used a potion. When Scorpius had asked why his daddy hadn't used such a potion, his daddy had blushed and said he would explain when Scorpius was older.

Since that moment, Scorpius searched for a perfect second daddy. Unfortunately he hadn't had any luck so far.

Suddenly, Scorpius' attention was caught by a candy store. Oh, those candies looked yummy. Scorpius bit his lip and looked at his daddy. He wanted to look at the candy, but his daddy was still talking with his aunt. If he would just go for a minute to the candy shop, he would be back so quickly, his daddy wouldn't notice he was gone.

With that plan in mind, little Scorpius skipped towards the candy store and looked in awe at all the candy displayed in the shop – window.

He was so transfixed with the candy, that when he finally stepped away, he couldn't find his daddy anymore. His head snapped from side to side, but he couldn't see his daddy. Where was he? Scorpius began to panic and tears glistened in his eyes. He wanted his daddy now! He brought his little hands to his face and began to sob. Where was his daddy?

"Hey there, little guy. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" a soft voice asked.

Scorpius looked up and saw a dark haired man kneeling in front of him. The man had pretty green eyes and his skin was almost golden. The man was looking concerned and Scorpius couldn't help but notice that this man was very pretty.

Scorpius hiccupped. "I – I – can't fi – find da – daddy," he cried.

"What's your name?" the man asked.

"Sco – Scorpius."

"Scorpius: what a beautiful name. Well, Scorpius, I'm Harry Potter. I help you look for your daddy, all right?" the man said, smiling.

"Tha – thank you, sir," Scorpius hiccupped again.

The man waved his hand. "You can call me Harry. Sir makes me sound so old."

Scorpius giggled a bit.

"That's more like it. No more tears, we'll find your daddy, I promise. Here, let me clean your face," Harry said and wiped his tears away with his handkerchief. "Now, what's your daddy's name?"

"Draco."

A look of shock seemed to appear on Harry's face, but it was quickly gone. So quickly, Scorpius wasn't sure it had been there to begin with.

"All right, let's go find your daddy, okay?" Harry suggested and took Scorpius by his little hand. With his other hand, he took his wand and whispered, "Lead me to Draco Malfoy." The wand twisted and spun around until it laid still; it was pointing to his right. Harry followed the direction his wand showed him, going slowly enough so that the little boy on his hand could follow him. Who had thought that Malfoy would have a son? The last thing Harry had heard of him was that he was married to that Greengrass girl.

Harry glanced down. Scorpius was a cute boy actually, considering who his father was. Though he had to admit that Scorpius was the splitting image of Malfoy. He had the same blond hair and even the same grey eyes. Scorpius had a slightly rounder face, but Harry supposed that that could change when he grew older.

Unbeknownst to Harry, Scorpius himself was inspecting Harry as well. He had memorized how the nice man looked and decided that he would be a great candidate for being his second daddy. Harry was obviously pretty, so his daddy would like that. He was also nice and sweet. Scorpius didn't know if Harry could cook well or if he wanted to play with him, but he supposed he could check that later. In his mind, he was already picturing his daddy and Harry with him as a family and he resolved to himself to make that image come true.

Harry saw Malfoy standing near Madam Malkin, looking concerned and worried. It was an odd expression to see on his face, but Harry thought it was natural because he couldn't find his son.

"Hey Malfoy, I've found your son!" he called out and stopped before Malfoy.

Malfoy looked down and immediately took Scorpius in his arms. "Thank Merlin you're all right! Scorpius, where have you been! I've been searching for you everywhere! I was so worried! Don't do that ever again, do you hear me?" he scolded, while checking his son for injuries.

Scorpius' lower lip trembled and he sniffed. "I'm sorry, daddy."

Draco sighed and just held Scorpius closer to him. Then he looked at Harry with a guarded expression. "Thank you, Potter, for bringing my son to me."

Harry waved his hand. "Don't thank me. Just don't let him out of your sight anymore. Next time I don't think he'll be lucky enough to be found by someone with good intentions."

"Daddy, how do you know Harry?" Scorpius asked curiously, seeing how familiar his daddy was interacting with the other man.

"He and I were in the same year when we were in school, sweetie. Just in different Houses," Malfoy explained, studying Harry and noticing how much he had improved physically. Not that he would tell him that.

"Oh, were you friends?" Scorpius asked excitedly. If that was true, then maybe it wouldn't be so hard to get them together.

"NO!" both men exclaimed suddenly.

Scorpius was startled by their outburst.

"I'm sorry that we scared you, Scorpius, but Potter and I weren't friends. Far from that, actually," Draco answered.

"Why not? Harry is nice," Scorpius said confused.

Draco snorted. "Of course he's nice. He's a Gryffindor."

Harry scowled. "Being nice has nothing to do with being a Gryffindor. The reason why we aren't friends, Scorpius, is because your daddy was a big meanie," he said to the boy on Malfoy's hip.

"How dare you say that? You refused my offer of friendship!" Draco accused him.

"Only because you were being a jerk," Harry bit back.

Scorpius looked between them. "But you can be friends now, can't you? Having friends is nice."

"Scorpius, it's not that easy," Harry tried to explain, because honestly, he and Malfoy being friends? That would never happen.

"No, Scorpius is right. We can try again, can't we, Potter? Let's make a fresh start. What do you say of that?" Malfoy smirked.

"I say that you drank too much Firewhiskey," Harry snorted.

"That's not nice, Potter. Come on, what can it hurt? We're not at school anymore, the Dark Lord is defeated, my father is locked up in Azkaban… Or are you too scared?" Malfoy taunted.

"I'm not scared, Malfoy," Harry growled and clenched his fists. "Fine, if you want to make a fresh start, let's try being friends. But I swear to God, Malfoy, that if you try to trick me, it'll be the last thing you ever do."

"Fine, that's settled then. Friends, Potter?" Malfoy smirked and held out his hand.

Harry shook it curtly. "Friends, Malfoy."

"You're doing it all wrong, daddy, you have to call Harry by his first name and Harry has to do that too. You're friends now and friends don't call each other with their last names," Scorpius' clear voice scolded them.

"You heard my son, _Harry_ ," Draco drawled and smirked.

"Of course, _Draco_ ," Harry smiled through clenched teeth. "Damn, it will be a long time before I get used to this."

"Same here, Harry," Draco replied dryly.

"Ooh, can we invite Harry to dinner tonight, daddy?" Scorpius asked excitedly.

Draco looked surprised. "Why, Scorpius?"

"Because you're friends now and friends have dinner together," Scorpius explained slowly as if he had to explain it to a child and not to his father.

"Now that's a great idea, Scorpius," Draco praised. It would be nice, he supposed, to finally get to know the man he wanted to befriend since he was eight. "So, what do you say, Harry? Are you free tonight for a dinner at my home?"

"No, sorry, I can't," Harry shook his head.

"Why not?" Scorpius pouted. If Harry didn't have dinner with them, then his daddy wouldn't see how perfect Harry would be as a second daddy.

"I have to pick up my godson at his grandmother because he has just spent the night there," Harry explained.

"I didn't know you had a godson, Harry. Who is it?" Draco asked, genuinely curious.

"Teddy Lupin; he's the son of a dead friend of my father," Harry replied uncomfortably.

"You mean he's the child of Nymphadora Tonks, my cousin?" Draco asked surprised. He had heard that his cousin had married the werewolf who was the DADA teacher in their third year, but he hadn't known they had a child together. For a moment, Draco felt his heart constrict; poor child, so young and he had already lost both his parents.

"Yeah, Remus came to me a few months before the war ended and asked me to be the godfather of his child," Harry answered softly.

_It was obviously a painful subject for him,_ Draco thought. "I didn't know you were close to Lupin."

"As close as you can get to the last living friend of your dead father and dead godfather, I suppose," Harry laughed humorlessly.

"So, Teddy lives with you now," Draco said.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it's a sweet kid. Looks a lot like his parents," he chuckled.

"How old is Teddy?" Scorpius asked curiously. Would this boy make it more difficult to bring his daddy with Harry together? Or would it make it easier?

"He's nine years old now," Harry answered smiling.

"Well, what do you say of dinner tomorrow at my home? You can bring Teddy with you. I'd like to get to know him too; he's family after all," Draco offered.

Even though Harry would like to refuse – because really, it was weird enough that they were sort of friends now, but dinner so soon? – he didn't have a valid excuse, so he gave up. "Fine, when is dinner?" he sighed.

"Don't be so enthusiastic, Harry, you may suffocate in it," Draco said dryly. "Come to my house at five p.m."

"All right, I'll see you tomorrow," Harry waved.

"Bye, Harry!" Scorpius waved excitedly and he bounced on Draco's hip. "Harry's nice, isn't he, daddy?"

"Yes, Scorpius, he's nice," Draco smiled and turned around to go to an Apparation point.

"And he's pretty, isn't he?" Scorpius continued, happy that his father was agreeing with him.

"Yes, he's pretty," Draco blinked when he said that. Well, he supposed Harry had become handsome.

Scorpius smiled contently. He knew his daddy would agree with him. Now he only had to make sure that his daddy would fall in love with Harry and then he could get the family he had always wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have some time left before my school starts again, so here's the next chapter ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> I hope you'll like it!

**Chapter 2**

"Teddy, are you ready?" his godfather yelled from downstairs.

"Almost; I'll be down in a minute, Harry," Teddy yelled back and looked back into the mirror. He was deciding which hair color he would choose for tonight. When his godfather had picked him up yesterday, he had noticed that he seemed stressed. When he had asked why Harry had seemed so stressed, his godfather had replied they were going to have a dinner with Draco Malfoy and his son Scorpius, because they had decided to form a friendship. Teddy didn't know what he should feel. From the tales that Uncle George told him sometimes, he had gathered that his godfather and Malfoy couldn't stand each other. And now they were friends?

He decided on black unruly hair; it would go well with his green eyes. He was very aware that he now looked like Harry, but that was just the thing he wanted to achieve. He knew how his parents looked like, because his godfather often showed him pictures of them while talking about them, but the point was: he didn't know them. He had always known Harry as his surrogate father. He remembered that until five years ago, he had thought that Harry was his father; he had even called him 'daddy' until his grandmother said that that wasn't right and that Harry was his godfather and not his father. He had found that difficult to believe. After all, Harry was the one he lived with and who took care of him like a son. But because he didn't want his grandmother to be sad, he had stopped calling Harry 'daddy'. Although he had always wondered if Harry had minded that he had called him daddy.

Satisfied with how he looked, Teddy ran downstairs and skidded to a halt right before Harry.

"Hello there, mini – me," Harry teased him.

Teddy beamed. "Do you like it?"

"You know I don't care how you look like, Teddy, but I like it," Harry smiled. Then he took a deep breath. "All right, I think we're ready to go now." He opened the door and walked outside, Teddy following him. They were walking to the Apparation point.

Teddy sneaked his hand in Harry's. "How old is Scorpius?"

"Six years old," Harry answered.

"Oh," Teddy nodded.

They arrived at the Apparation point (a patch of grass underneath an old tree) and Harry picked Teddy up before Apparating.

They arrived at a white gate. Through the gate they could see a huge villa with a garden, full of flowers and trees. A house elf popped up.

"You master Potter and master Teddy?" the house elf asked in his high pitched voice.

"Yes," Harry nodded and placed Teddy down on the ground.

"Master Malfoy and mini Master Scorpius is expecting Master Potter and Master Teddy. Follow Twinky, Master Potter and Master Teddy," the house elf said and led them all the way up to the villa.

When they arrived in the with marble clad entrance hall, they were greeted by Draco standing in front of the stairs.

"Harry, nice to see you again," Draco smirked. He turned to Teddy. "And you must be Teddy Lupin. It's nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mister Malfoy," Teddy mumbled, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Call me Draco, please, we're family after all. But I thought you would look like your parents and not like Harry," Draco said confused.

"Teddy is a Metamorphmagus. He decided to look like me for tonight," Harry explained and ruffled through his godson's hair.

"I understand. Scorpius, Harry and Teddy are here! Are you coming?" Draco called out.

The next minute Harry felt something slamming against his legs and he had to steady himself against the wall.

"Oof." When he looked down, he saw Scorpius looking up at him with a beaming face and a big smile.

"Harry! I missed you!" Scorpius exclaimed.

"You know, I never get a hug from him like that," Draco said dryly, looking with amusement at the scene before him.

Harry bent down and picked Scorpius up. The little boy took advantage of that and proceeded to hug him.

"It's nice to see you too, Scorpius," Harry chuckled and placed the boy back on the floor. "Scorpius, this is my godson Teddy."

Scorpius looked at Teddy and seemed surprised. "Why does he look like you if he's your godson, Harry?"

"Teddy can change his looks whenever he want, Scorpius, and tonight he chose these looks," Harry explained as well as he could. "Teddy, this is Scorpius."

Teddy narrowed his eyes and took Harry's hand again. "Hi," he said curtly, not liking the way Scorpius was looking at his godfather. Who thought this boy he was: hugging his godfather as if he knew him for years? Only Teddy was allowed to do that.

"Hello Teddy." Scorpius waved shyly.

"I hope you're hungry," Draco said while leading them through a door on the right. It appeared to be the dining room. The table was set for four people and the dinner – service was shining like crystal (Harry had a feeling it was actual crystal).

"I told the house elves to set the table for four, unless your girlfriend is coming as well?" Draco asked when they took a seat. Immediately a house elf appeared with two glasses with red wine and apple juice for the children.

"A girlfriend? What are you talking about, Draco? I don't have a girlfriend," Harry said surprised. Teddy was sitting on his right and Scorpius on his left while Draco sat across from him.

"I thought you were still together with that Weasley girl," Draco clarified.

"Oh no, Ginny and I split up when Teddy was five," Harry answered lightly.

"Why?" Draco asked surprised. He had thought Harry would be married to that Weasley girl by now.

"Because that bitch cheated on Prongslet many times," Teddy surprised them by growling.

"Teddy! You don't call someone a bitch!" Harry scolded him.

"What? It's true!" Teddy scowled.

Harry sighed and rubbed in his eyes. "Just because it may be true, doesn't mean you can call her that."

"And here I thought Weasley girl adored you," Draco said lightly. Cheating on Harry Potter; he didn't think many women would do that.

"Yeah, well apparently not," Harry replied dryly.

"She was only with Prongslet because he's famous and he has money. I heard her saying that to someone years ago. She also said it was fun to make other girls jealous, because she had him and they hadn't," Teddy growled, looking pissed.

Harry scratched his head. "Ah well, what's done is done. Can't change the past."

"That girl was really mean," Scorpius frowned.

"How did Weasel and Granger react?" Draco asked after taking a sip from his wine.

Harry stiffened a bit. "I'm not really on speaking terms with them anymore," he said stiffly.

Draco sat up straighter, all ears now. The Golden Trio had fallen out? "How come, if I may ask?"

"Well, Ron didn't agree with the fact that I was angry with Ginny – said I didn't have any proof that his sister had cheated on me. I found catching her with another man in bed enough proof for me," Harry snorted. "And Hermione, well, she's Ron's wife now and thought we were both being ridiculous. However, she attempted to bring me and Ginny together multiple times until I finally had enough of it. Last time I heard something from them, they were living in France. The only Weasley that I have a good bond with is George."

"But you have me and daddy now as friends. Isn't that good?" Scorpius asked, slightly pouting.

"I guess so," Harry replied amused.

"You know, Harry, you can drink from the wine. I haven't poisoned it," Draco smiled.

Harry blinked at seeing Draco smiling and not smirking (it was an odd expression, but it suited the ex Slytherin) and chuckled. "Thanks for reassuring me." He took a sip from the wine and had to admit it tasted good – though, he didn't have a clue to what kind of wine it was. His wine knowledge was limited to knowing the difference between red and white wine.

Soon after that, their food was served by four house elves. It was roasted duck in an orange flavored sauce with spiced potatoes and steamed asparagus and for the two boys, there were mashed potatoes with roasted chicken and salad.

"Do you like the food?" Draco asked, smiling.

"It's impressive," Harry smiled back.

"It tastes good, but I like the food from Prongslet better," Teddy admitted.

"Can you cook yummy food?" Scorpius asked excitedly. _Please say yes, please say yes,_ he thought.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? Prongslet is the best cook there is," Teddy said annoyed. That little boy was beginning to work on his nerves.

Another thing that could be removed from the list. Now Scorpius only had to find out if Harry was willing to play with him.

Harry blushed lightly, but didn't comment while Draco just smirked for a moment.

* * *

After they had dessert (crème brulée for the adults and vanilla and chocolate ice cream for the boys) they settled themselves in the living room.

Harry and Teddy were seated in one sofa near the fire and Draco had taken place in a comfy chair. Scorpius had gone to his room to collect some toys to play with.

"What are you doing for a living, Harry?" Draco asked curiously. That question had been burning on his tongue for the whole evening, but he hadn't found a good moment to ask it.

"I'm an Auror," Harry answered.

"Why am I not surprised?" Draco smirked. "You always had an 'I have to save everyone' impulse."

"I don't have such a thing," Harry protested.

"Yes, you do," Draco said in a final tone.

"Harry, Harry, do you want to play with me?" Scorpius came running into the room with a box in his hands.

"Scorpius," Draco sighed.

"I don't mind playing with him," Harry smiled and sat down on the floor. "Teddy, are you joining us?"

Teddy shook his head and crossed his arms. "No, thank you, I don't want to."

"I have some books if you want to read," Draco offered.

Teddy thought about it and then nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, all right."

Draco smiled and stood up to select a children's book.

"We're going build Hogwats," Scorpius announced.

"Hogwarts," Harry corrected him smiling.

"Yes, that," Scorpius nodded.

"All right, now how are we going to do that?" Harry asked when Scorpius began to empty his box.

"First, we build the walls 'cause that's how a house stands upright," Scorpius instructed.

Draco was smiling at the scene before him, but Teddy was silently fuming. Scorpius didn't have the right to play with his godfather. Harry was his godfather, not Scorpius'.

They played for a whole hour until Draco announced that it was bedtime for Scorpius.

"But daddy," Scorpius whined a bit. He didn't want to say goodbye to Harry. Who knew when he would see Harry next? Besides, he liked playing with Harry.

"No, Scorpius, it's already nine p.m. You have to go to sleep now," Draco said sternly.

"Besides, Teddy and I are leaving too. It's almost bedtime for Teddy too," Harry said calmly and with a wave of his hand, the blocks that they had played with flew back into the box. He stood up and stretched.

"Fine, but I want Harry to bring me to bed," Scorpius demanded and held up his hands for Harry.

Harry looked inquiringly at Draco.

Draco sighed. "Fine, if that means you go to sleep, then I'm not objecting. But first go brush your teeth and put your pyjamas on."

"Yes, daddy," Scorpius said excitedly and ran upstairs.

"And be careful on the stairs! I don't want you to fall!" Draco shouted after his son.

"Wait here for a moment while I take Scorpius to bed, all right? I'll be back quickly," Harry promised Teddy.

Teddy pouted, but nodded, seeing as he didn't have a choice.

One minute later, Scorpius appeared in the doorway, clad in green pyjamas, holding up his arms for Harry to pick him up. Harry complied and settled him on his hip and together with Draco, he walked up the stairs to Scorpius' bedroom. Scorpius sighed contentedly and tightened the grip he had on Harry's neck. This was how it was supposed to be: Harry and his daddy taking him to his bedroom to tuck him in.

Harry placed Scorpius in his bed (after noticing how large the child's bedroom was) and tucked him in.

"Goodnight, Scorpius," Draco said and gave his son a kiss on his forehead.

Harry smiled. "Goodnight, Scorpius." He turned around to go away, but was stopped by a small hand on his wrist.

"You have to give me a kissy too," Scorpius demanded and tugged on Harry's sleeve.

Harry looked surprised, but bowed and kissed the boy on his head. "Is that good?"

"Yes," Scorpius sighed contentedly and snuggled deeper in his sheets.

"I will let you out," Scorpius heard his daddy saying to Harry and they walked back downstairs.

Scorpius took a folded paper from underneath his pillow and opened it. In this paper he had written his list of the qualities that his second daddy had to have. He took a crayon and began to cross a few things out.

My second daddy has to be:

Nice

Sweet

He has to cook good

Pretty

He has to play with me

Funny

He has to give me a brother or sister

Scorpius crossed the first five things out. He figured that he couldn't check the last thing on his list until his daddy was together with Harry. But that wouldn't be too long before that happened. Scorpius fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

Meanwhile, Harry and Teddy had Apparated home and Harry had sent Teddy to the bathroom to change for the night.

Harry tucked Teddy in in his bed and was about to leave when Teddy's small voice asked, "You love me, right, Harry?"

Harry noticed the change of names: from Prongslet to Harry. "Of course I love you, Teddy. What gave you the idea that I don't?"

Teddy's eyes were casted downwards at his bed sheets and his face was red. "Because you didn't pay much attention to me tonight. You were always talking with Scorpius or Draco."

Harry sat back on the bed and embraced Teddy. "Teddy, just because I was playing with Scorpius or talking with Draco, doesn't mean that I don't love you. I'll always love you, I swear. Nothing can change that," Harry soothed and stroked the boy through his hair.

"Okay," Teddy whispered and let the soothing hand through his hair lull him to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the third chapter ^^  
> Here the first mention of the villain pops up
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 3**

The sun peeped through the curtains and shone on the little boy's face. The boy furrowed his eyebrows and opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight. Scorpius yawned and rubbed his tiny fists in his eyes, rubbing the sleep away. He shook his head and stared at nothing in particular. Slowly, the events of last night seeped into his brains and he smiled happily. It had been such a fun evening. He wanted to repeat last evening.

Scorpius slipped out of bed and padded downstairs, in search for his daddy. He found him in the kitchen, reading the newspaper while sipping of his coffee.

Draco looked up and smiled when he saw his son coming to him. "Good morning, Scorpius. Did you sleep well?"

Scorpius climbed on the chair (which had a pillow on it, courtesy of the house elves) and smiled. "Yes, daddy!"

Draco chuckled and ordered some pancakes for his son. The pancakes appeared before Scorpius, cut into little pieces with chocolate syrup on it.

"Daddy, I want to ask someting," Scorpius began.

"It's 'something', Scorpius, not someting," Draco corrected him. "What do you want to ask?"

"When is Harry coming back?" Scorpius asked excitedly.

"You have to say: when will Harry be coming back, Scorpius. And I don't know. Why do you ask?" Draco asked curiously. He hadn't known his son was already so attached to Harry. When did that happen?

"Because I like him and I want to see Harry again. Can't you call Harry, daddy?" Scorpius pouted.

Draco laughed surprised. "Scorpius, I can't just call Harry and demand that he visits us again."

"Why not?" Scorpius asked innocently.

Draco sighed. "Because he has to work too, Scorpius and besides, you saw him yesterday. He can't visit us every day."

"But I want to see Harry," Scorpius whined.

"Stop that whining immediately, Scorpius," Draco said sternly. "You can't always get what you want. I'm sure Harry will visit us again, but you have to be patient."

Scorpius looked sad and pouted, but didn't reply. He knew not to push his daddy when he used that tone. But how was he supposed to get Harry as his second daddy when his daddy didn't want to visit Harry?

* * *

Teddy walked yawning the kitchen in. He blinked groggily and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Are waffles okay?" his godfather asked him.

Teddy nodded and yawned again.

A little while later, Teddy woke up fully when he smelled the waffles.

"Thanks," he smiled and dug in.

Harry sat down across from him. "What do you think of you and I going flying?" he suggested smiling.

Teddy looked up surprised. "Don't you have papers to write?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I have time. Those papers are not running away," he joked.

Teddy smiled. "All right then. I would like to go flying."

An hour later, Harry and Teddy were ready to go, when they were halted by a fire call of Shacklebolt.

"Harry, I have to speak with you about a new case," he said in his deep voice.

Harry glanced at Teddy. "Can't it wait until tomorrow? Teddy and I were just on our way to go flying."

"I'm sorry, Harry, but it's rather urgent," Shacklebolt insisted.

Harry sighed. "Teddy, wait here. I'll make the call quick."

"Okay, Harry," Teddy said softly and sat down on a kitchen chair. Why did he have the feeling that there wouldn't be any flying today?

Harry bent down, so that he could have a better conversation. "What's so urgent that you can't wait until tomorrow to inform me about it?"

"I've just got informed that a Dark wizard has been spreading poisonous potions in the underworld. It would seem like any normal Dark wizard that tries his hand in potions, but from what I have gathered, it seems like this person is very educated. Harry, the Healers can't find an antidote. They fear that the victims will die," Shacklebolt explained with a grave face.

"And what do you need me to do? I can't go out in the field today, Shacklebolt; I can't break another promise to Teddy," Harry said, slightly desperate. He didn't dare to think how Teddy would feel if he was dumped again for a case. It had happened before in the past that Harry had to cancel his outing with Teddy because of a case. He hated to see the disappointed face of his godson.

"For now, I just need you to look into the file, see if you can find some clues as to who it can be and why he chose those people to poison. The exact field work can wait a few days," Shacklebolt answered.

"Fine, send me the file. I'll look into it," Harry sighed.

"It will be at your place in a quarter of an hour. Thank you, Harry. I'll see you tomorrow at work."

"Yes, good bye." Harry shut the Floo connection.

"Do you need to go?" The soft voice of his godson startled him and he turned around.

"No, Shacklebolt needs me to look into a file. But we still have time to go flying, don't worry," Harry smiled strained.

Teddy smiled weakly, but he understood the flying would be short, because his godfather had another case. Sometimes he wished his godfather wasn't an Auror; that way he would have more time for Teddy and the boy wouldn't have to worry about Harry's safety. Ever since Teddy fully understood what an Auror exactly had to do, he had always been afraid that one day, Harry wouldn't come back for him. That Harry would leave him, just like his parents had left him.

* * *

Just like Teddy had predicted, their flying outing only lasted an hour before they returned home where Harry immediately disappeared into his study. Teddy tried to pass the time with reading and looking at his parents' photo album. It wasn't until dinner time that he saw his godfather again. Teddy didn't dare to ask for a story before he went to sleep because he saw how tense Harry was. Whatever the case was, it clearly made his godfather very worried.

Later that night, Harry tucked him in bed and hastily gave him a good night kiss, before going back to his study.

* * *

Whoever was responsible for making the potions, he knew how to hide his tracks. Usually, after a week of studying the case and questioning the victims, Harry would have an idea as to where he would have to look for the culprit. Unfortunately he didn't have this luck in this particular case. Not only didn't give the file him some worth full clues, he also couldn't question the victims, seeing as they had all slipped into a coma. The Healers were desperate. Even the most intelligent Healers, who were able to create an antidote to every possible poison, didn't have a clue as to how they could help the people. The potion the victims swallowed spent a very short time in their blood stream before dissolving completely, without leaving any traces. However, the effect of the poison was instantaneous; only an hour after having the potion in their body, the victims' hearts would get in overload, they would get a high fever and stomach ache before falling into a coma.

Harry had tried to find a connection between the victims, but so far he hadn't found it. If anything, the victims hadn't had anything to do with the others. There was a woman in her thirties, who had three children and stayed at home; a man who worked at the Ministry in the sports department; a guy of barely twenty who just had started working as a salesman in a clothes store; an older man who was retired and was living rather isolated and finally a child: a girl of barely seven. This victim had struck Harry's heart the most. It was only a child, for Merlin's sake! What kind of low life would harm an innocent child?

So with no clues, Harry was stuck with the case. Because this case was so severe, he often worked late and had to have Teddy staying at his grandmother's. Harry knew Teddy didn't like it when he was stuck with his grandmother, but Harry didn't want to take the risk. He didn't dare to leave Teddy alone in the house without any protection. Even with the wards, Harry didn't trust it. If this person managed to make a poison that left no trace, who said he wasn't capable of breaking into a heavily warded home?

* * *

At the end of the week, Harry was dead tired. He took the file with him to his home and spent his weekend trying to find clues he might have missed. To no avail.

He had visited his godson that Sunday, but had to leave him at his grandmother's even though Teddy protested heavily. Andromeda assured Harry Teddy could stay as long as needed and that he didn't have to worry about anything.

* * *

In the second week, there was a highlight in the case. Some of the Aurors had managed to locate some poison in a drink of the next victim (a young woman who had just married). It wasn't much, but now they could see what kind of ingredients were used for the poison. The Potions Masters of the Ministry however had to give up. Even with their knowledge, they couldn't identify one ingredient. It was unknown and it was suspected that this ingredient caused the person to fall into a coma.

Harry was getting frustrated. Even with the potion, they couldn't find the Dark wizard. He needed a miracle… or an exceptionally good Potion Master. Problem was: where could he find that person?

* * *

On Friday, Harry locked up his office with a sigh. He had ranked his brain to find a suitable Potion Master, but he couldn't think of one person who could do the job. He wondered if this would be one of the cases that would grow cold and be forgotten.

"If Death would be a person he would look just like you," an amused voice drawled.

Harry startled and turned around to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall of his office with a smirk on his face.

"Merlin, Malfoy, don't sneak up on me. I almost hexed you," Harry scowled and stuffed his wand back in his pocket.

"Back to 'Malfoy'? I distinctly remember that my son had demanded that we use each other's first names. Besides, maybe you need more training if I manage to sneak up on you," Draco drawled and smirked again.

"You're an arse, Draco." Harry rolled his eyes.

"I don't think my son wants us to insult each other. He wants us to be friends, remember?" Draco smiled sweetly.

Harry narrowed his eyes and was instantly wary. "What do you want, Draco?"

"Why do you think I want something? Can't I just have a friendly chat with one of my friends?" Draco asked innocently.

"You're a Slytherin and a Malfoy. You always want something," Harry deadpanned.

Draco placed his hand over his heart. "Ouch, that hurt. So much distrust to my motives – you should be ashamed of yourself," Draco pouted.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap, Draco and just tell me what you want. I'm not in the mood for games now," he sighed and rubbed tiredly in his eyes.

Draco studied him. "No, apparently not. My son misses you. He wants to see you again," he finally answered.

"Why?"

"I assume it's because he has grown fond of you. I can be patient if I want, Harry, but the constant whining of my son is too much even for me. If you coming to see him makes him happy and stops his whining, then I don't care. So, what do you think?" Draco asked, looking expectantly.

"Think about what?" Harry asked confused.

"About coming to dinner again, obviously," Draco said as if it had been obvious.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry, but I really can't come to dinner. I'm too busy with a case."

"What case?" Draco asked curiously.

"That's not really your business," Harry said lightly.

"Hey, maybe I can help you."

"I doubt it."

"It wouldn't hurt to try, you know."

"Fine, but if you breathe one word of this to another person, I'm going to make sure you won't ever talk again. Or walk for that matter."

"You don't have to be so violent about it. I swear I won't tell anyone."

Harry sighed. "The last couple of weeks, there have been various attacks on random people. Somehow this wizard manages to poison these people without anyone being the wiser."

"Can't you just interrogate the victims and ask if they saw someone suspicious or if they had a quarrel with someone?" Draco suggested.

Harry looked grim. "That is impossible, seeing as all the victims are in a coma."

"So? Wake them up from the coma; I'm sure there are spells for that." Draco shrugged, not seeing the problem.

"We can't. Whatever is in this poison, it makes sure that it doesn't leave any traces and that the victims aren't able to be cured. None of the Healers or the Potion Masters in the Ministry are able to fully identify the poison and create an antidote for it. One week ago, a couple of Aurors managed to find some poison left behind in a cup, but so far the research doesn't tell us anything. Well, that's not entirely true. The specialists have managed to identify all ingredients but one, and it's that one that we suspect causes the coma," Harry finished his explanation. "So we still don't have a clue who to catch and how to cure the victims."

"Did all the Potion Masters test the poison?" Draco asked, looking thoughtful.

"All the ones in the Ministry, yes," Harry nodded. "But they didn't find the last ingredient."

"But you didn't go to the best Potion Master in this country," Draco said.

Harry looked confused. "Who are you talking about?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "If he knew you had forgotten all about him, he would regret the fact that he helped you all those years ago. How could you have forgotten about him?"

"Cut the crap, Draco and tell me who you are talking about," Harry said impatiently.

"Severus Snape obviously. He's the best Potion Master there is. How could you have forgotten him?" Draco scoffed, shaking his head.

Harry stared at him dumbstruck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the fourth chapter, there are no specific warnings ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 4**

"Snape? He still lives?" Harry blurted out, looking shocked.

"Of course he's still alive. Why wouldn't he be?" Draco asked, raising his eyebrow.

"But – but I saw him in the Shrieking Shack. He was bitten by Nagini. He was poisoned. There is no way he could have survived Nagini's bite." Harry thought he would pass out from shock. Snape was still alive? He had survived Nagini's poison? How was that possible? He had seen Snape dying; had been there for his last breath. And now he heard that his old teacher survived. Why had nobody ever told him that? Despite the fact that he and Snape had never gotten along in school, he had respected Snape in the end when he heard what exactly the man had suffered for him. How he, in spite of his hatred for James Potter, still had rescued Harry many times. Harry had wanted to thank him for that, but after seeing Snape dying in the Shrieking Shack, he had thought he would never have the chance to do that.

"Did you honestly think Severus would go anywhere near the Dark Lord without having an antidote for that snake's poison? He always swallowed one when he went to meet the Dark Lord. It was a wise decision considering he _did_ got bitten by that snake. He's now living in the Snape's Manor. He had enough of teaching 'unruly brats who don't appreciate the art of potions'," Draco smiled when he said that. "But he's still making potions. I visit him every week. If you want I can take that poison to him and see if he finds out what the last ingredient is. If he can't find it, nobody can find it."

Harry bit on his lip. Here was the chance to thank the man who had saved his life multiple times and to maybe solve the case. "It's a good idea, but I want to bring the potion to him."

"Why? Don't you trust me?" Draco said annoyed.

"That's not it; I just want to see Snape," Harry answered.

"Why? You never got along with him. Why would you want to see him?" Draco asked confused.

"I want to thank him for saving my arse all those years," Harry replied. "When are you going to visit him?"

"In two days."

"Good, then I go with you," Harry nodded briskly and turned around. "I will go to your manor because I don't know where Snape's Manor is. I see you in two days."

Draco had studied Harry the whole time they were talking and was getting concerned (against his will though) when he saw how bad Harry looked. Harry's hair was more unruly than ever; his skin was very pale; his eyes had lost their shine and he had bags under his eyes. He even seemed to have lost weight. All in all, he looked terrible as if he would pass out in a few seconds. He even was walking unsteadily.

"Harry, stop," Draco called out, before he could stop himself.

Harry turned around to face him. "What?"

"When was the last time you had a decent sleep?"

Harry stared at him surprised. "Why do you want to know that?"

"Why do you always answer with a question?" Draco asked annoyed. "Just answer the bloody question for Merlin's sake."

"Not that it is any of your business, but I've slept last night like any other normal person," Harry snapped. He hadn't exactly lied; he had slept for a few hours, but if someone could call it a decent sleep…

"I asked you when the last time was you had a decent sleep. A decent sleep as in that you're fully rested and not ready to collapse any time," Draco bit back.

Harry threw his hands up in the air, getting really frustrated. "What is it to you if I sleep well or not? I promise I will visit your son soon, but now I have to go home and search for other ways to find the culprit before he manages to make other victims."

"And how are you going to do that? You just admitted you have no clue as to how you will search further. The only thing that can help you further is to discover what the last ingredient is and Severus is your only chance of discovering that. Until we have visited Severus, you can't investigate further. For once in your life, use your head and get some decent sleep before you get admitted in the hospital," Draco snapped, his grey eyes glittering furiously.

"For Merlin's sake! I have enough rest and I won't get admitted in the hospital. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to visit Teddy and his grandmother and then go home. I see you in two days," Harry seethed and turned around. God, but he had forgotten how annoying the blond ex Slytherin could be.

Draco sighed and pointed his wand at Harry's back. "You're still as stubborn as ever. You leave me no choice." He mumbled a spell and before Harry could raise a shield, he was hit with a blue light.

His last thought before he lost consciousness was _'I'm going to kill Malfoy.'_

* * *

When Harry woke up, several hours later, he was looking at a white ceiling while lying in a dark wooden bed with silken sheets. He tried to remember what had happened before he lost consciousness. He had been arguing with Draco… He had been telling him about the case… They had decided to visit Snape, who was still alive, in two days for the unidentified potion… Harry's jaw tightened when he remembered what had happened after they had argued about his health. Malfoy had hit him with an unknown spell which caused him to lose consciousness. He was going to pay for this.

His hand searched on the nightstand for his glasses and he put them on, bringing the room in focus. He sat up and surveyed the room. It was simple, yet elegant decorated. There was the bed he was lying in, standing against the furthest wall from the door, next to a huge window. The sun was set really low in the sky, so Harry assumed it was getting really late. The walls were painted a light blue and the only furniture besides the bed in the room were a closet and a desk with a chair in front of it.

He searched for his wand and found it lying on the desk. Quickly he snatched it up and opened the door, his mind not taken registration of the fact that he was wearing emerald green pyjamas. The room was in a hallway with three other rooms and thankfully, Harry recognized the hallway because just two doors from his was Scorpius' room.

_All right, first I'm going to kill Malfoy, then hide his body and then I'm going to visit Teddy,_ Harry thought grimly. He sneaked out of the room and listened carefully. He vaguely heard Draco's voice saying something from what he guessed was the kitchen.

He tiptoed of the stairs and heard Draco's voice clearer. He was saying something to his son.

Harry opened the door and saw Malfoy leaning against the kitchen counter, Scorpius sitting at the table with… Teddy next to him.

"What were you thinking when you hexed me, Malfoy?" Harry growled, startling the other occupants.

Scorpius beamed and grinned. "Harry! I missed you!" he chirped and jumped off his chair and toddled over to Harry, stretching out his arms, silently pleading to be picked up.

Automatically, Harry bent down and settled Scorpius on his hip, giving the boy the chance to cuddle him.

"Did you have a good rest, Harry?" Draco asked calmly, raising his eyebrow slightly at seeing his son cuddling with the other man.

"Answer my question, Malfoy. And why is Teddy here?" Harry growled, but didn't release Scorpius.

"After I had sedated you, I brought you here so you could rest and after a little research I brought my nephew here too, so he could be with you. He told me he hasn't seen much of you the last two weeks and I decided to change that," Draco answered calmly, not looking the least bit ashamed of his actions.

"So you practically kidnapped me and Teddy. That's just wonderful. Why am I not surprised?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Why are you wearing pyjamas, Prongslet?" Teddy suddenly asked curiously, not having seen his godfather in those pyjamas ever. He couldn't help but be happy, though, that Draco had brought him here. Draco had promised him he would have at least two days with his godfather without any interruption of Harry's work. He had missed his godfather the past two weeks and couldn't wait to spend time with him.

Only then Harry looked down and noticed surprised that he was indeed wearing green pyjamas instead of his Auror robes.

"So you're not only a kidnapper, but also a pervert. This is getting better and better," Harry mumbled and placed Scorpius down on the floor. "Now tell me where my clothes are so that Teddy and I can go home."

"I can't do that."

Harry blinked surprised. "Excuse me? I didn't think I heard you well. Can you repeat that sentence, please?" he asked, his voice dangerously soft.

Teddy gulped and casted his eyes down and fiddled with his shirt. He knew that tone of voice; his godfather only used that when he was extremely pissed off. A couple of years back, Teddy had been taunted by a few boys who made fun of his father and called him a dirty werewolf child who should have died when he was born. Teddy had been extremely upset about that and when his godfather heard of the taunting and especially what they had called Teddy, he had flown into a fit of rage. He had gone straight to the parents of the boys – Teddy didn't know what he had said or done, but after that day nobody dared to taunt Teddy again.

"I said: I can't do that," Draco repeated calmly and crossed his arms.

"And why not?"

"Because it would be a shame if Teddy lost his godfather because he didn't look after himself."

Harry snorted. "Oh please, Teddy won't lose me. What could possibly happen?"

"If I know you, and I can safely say I do - probably much better than your friends ever would - then you would have continued your investigation throughout the weekend. Then, if by some miracle you indeed found the culprit or at least a suspect, you would have gone after him, like the stupid heroic Gryffindor you're still are. With the state you're in, the culprit wouldn't have to do much to take you down and possibly kill you," Draco said softly, his eyes never leaving Harry's, who had gone quiet. "You are a very powerful wizard, Harry, nobody denies that, but even you have your limits. And I dare say you are at your limits now – you just won't admit it. Seeing as the investigation is on a hold for now, I think it's best if you have a weekend off to relax and rest. Teddy would be delighted to have his godfather back and for some strange reason, my son likes you and wants your company, so there you have it. You're going to spend this weekend here, at Malfoy Manor, with me and the kids and on Monday, we're going to visit Severus. How does that sound?"

Teddy didn't dare to look up; he knew his godfather could be very stubborn, but for once, the boy hoped he would give in.

For a while there was nothing but silence.

Then, "Fine, I'll stay, but only for my godson. But mind you, I will find a way to get you back for this," Harry sighed.

Scorpius squealed and hugged Harry's legs, excited to have his future daddy staying a weekend with him.

Teddy grinned widely and jumped off the chair, right into Harry's arms and hugged him hard.

"I still hate you, Draco," Harry said calmly and with a wave of his wand, the pyjamas turned into a comfortable jeans and a black shirt.

"You will get over it," Draco replied lightly.

"I still have to go home to pick up some clothes for me and Teddy."

"No need. I brought some clothes with me for both of you."

Harry stared at him. "You're even a bigger pervert than I suspected."

Draco just sighed and shook his head.

* * *

After dinner, they were sitting in the garden where they looked at the sun setting while Teddy flew rounds above the garden and Scorpius was sitting on Harry's lap, looking at the pictures in his book.

"So, are you really going to thank Severus?" Draco suddenly asked neutrally.

Harry glanced at him before looking back at the garden. "Of course I will thank him. Why do you think otherwise?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you two could practically strangle each other when you were in one room together?" Draco suggested sarcastically.

"A few weeks ago, you made me want to beat you all up, but we're sort of friends now – though I still want to beat you up badly for practically kidnapping me. And you think I wouldn't thank the man who saved my life on numerous occasions?" Harry snorted lightly. "I will yell at him afterwards."

Draco chuckled softly.

Suddenly Harry smirked. "Besides, Snape will probably kill you first, or at least badly hex you for daring to bring me along."

Draco groaned and smacked his head. He hadn't thought of that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fifth chapter contains a Scorpius playing matchmaker ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 5**

Draco would never admit it out loud, but he thought it was fun to have Harry staying in his house. The man could actually hold a decent conversation and he wasn't as stupid as Draco first thought he was. Draco had talked to him about politics and Harry had managed to hold his own in that particular conversation. Sure, he couldn't form an opinion on some of the subjects of politics, but he could bring decent arguments. And he was good with kids.

Scorpius absolutely adored Harry. He followed him everywhere and demanded a good morning kiss and a good night kiss from him. He constantly asked to be picked up and to be cuddled. Harry did this most of the time because it amused him, but there had been moments he had refused the boy a hug because he needed to spend time with his godson too.

Harry spent a lot of flying with Teddy, seeing as this was something the boy loved to do. Whenever Harry was gone for a while to fly with his godson, Draco had noticed Scorpius would sit by the window that looked out on the garden and wait with a pout on his face until Harry landed back on the ground.

By now, Draco was seriously asking himself if his son was over obsessed with Harry. But he didn't complain, because Scorpius behaved himself all weekend, unlike the other weekends where he dared to have a fit about something.

* * *

It was Sunday morning when it happened.

They were all eating breakfast, when Scorpius suddenly asked, "Harry, do you like daddy?"

Harry looked up surprised and nearly choked on his coffee. "Excuse me?"

Teddy scowled.

"Do you like daddy?" Scorpius repeated smiling.

Harry glanced at Draco, who was smirking. The bastard. "Eh, I suppose so. We get along now and your father can be nice if he wants too."

"Hey," Draco said offended. "I'm always nice."

Harry rolled his eyes.

Scorpius looked at them innocently. "Then you have to give daddy a kissy."

Harry looked at him shocked, while Draco just blinked. "What? Scorpius, I can't do that," Harry protested.

"Why not?" Scorpius asked, honestly confused. "Mama liked daddy too for a while and she gave him a kissy every day. You said you like daddy, so you have to give him a kissy too."

Harry rubbed in his eyes, while Teddy stopped eating to see what would happen next.

"Scorpius, your daddy and I don't like each other in the way that your mama and your daddy liked each other. So we don't give each other a kiss because we like each other in another way."

"But you like daddy! Or did you lie?" Scorpius' lower lip started to tremble. Harry had to like his daddy, so they could be a family.

Harry sighed. "No, Scorpius, I didn't lie."

"Then you have to give daddy a kissy!"

Harry turned towards Draco desperately. "Draco, say something to your son, please. Explain him why we can't give each other a kiss."

Draco, not fancying seeing his son upset and therefore throwing a fit, just shrugged. "Once he gets something in his mind, you won't get it out. We can sit here for hours, trying to make him understand that we like each other, but not enough to give a kiss and we still won't get any further. It's best if we just give each other a quick kiss, then he will stop talking about it."

"But I don't want to give you a kiss," Harry whined a bit and pouted.

Draco rolled his eyes. "For Merlin's sake, Potter. It's just a damn kiss. We do it fast and then it's over."

Harry huffed. "Fine." He glared at the blond man and stood up. He walked around the table and bent to give Draco a chaste kiss on the cheek. Then he looked at Scorpius.

"Happy now?" he asked.

Scorpius shook his head. "No, you do it all wrong. You have to give a kissy on daddy's lips."

Harry went white and Draco paled too. "Wh – what? I'm definitely not doing that!" Harry protested and stepped back, shaking his head.

Scorpius pouted. "Why not? You like daddy, so you have to give him a kissy on the lips. Mama did that too."

"Yes, but your mama did that, because she liked your daddy very much. I don't like your daddy that much," Harry tried to reason with the six year old boy.

That was the wrong thing to say.

Scorpius' eyes watered and he sniffed, his lower lip trembling more. Harry didn't like his daddy. But he had too! He had to like daddy so they could be a family!

"Oh, screw it all," Draco muttered and stood up. He hated seeing his son upset and if a kiss on the mouth would make him happy again – why he would be asking for that, Draco didn't have a clue – then he would do it. Thank Merlin Harry was at least attractive.

Harry looked at him warily when Draco advanced on him and his eyes widened when Draco bent down. The bastard was still a few inches taller than him.

Teddy's eyes fell almost out of their sockets when he saw Draco pushing his lips on his godfather's mouth and kiss him hard.

Scorpius squealed when he saw his daddy and Harry kissing and clapped in his hands.

After ten seconds, Harry pushed Draco away and discreetly wiped his mouth. "You didn't have to do it for that long," he muttered, glaring at the blond man in front of him.

Draco regarded him calmly. "You didn't die from it, did you? Besides, I think there are worse things than kissing me," he smirked.

"Not bloody likely," Harry murmured and returned to his seat.

Draco sat down too. "So, Scorpius, was that kiss good enough?"

Scorpius nodded happily. "Yes, now you're going to kiss every day. You and mama did that too."

Harry groaned and with a thump, he let his head fall on the table. "I'm going to be so happy when I leave here," he muttered underneath his breath. Kissing Malfoy every day would be a complete nightmare. It was bad enough he had to kiss him today, let alone every day! It didn't matter if he was handsome and if he could kiss well; Harry Potter was not gay and he would never like Draco Malfoy in that way!

Teddy looked from underneath his eyelashes at the little boy sitting right in front of him and frowned. What was that kid playing at? Why would he want Draco and his godfather kissing? They were two guys! Just because his godfather maybe liked Draco, didn't mean that he had to kiss him. Kissing on the mouth was something only couples did. Teddy may be nine, but he knew that kissing each other on the mouth when you just liked each other as friends was something friends didn't do. Maybe a kiss on the cheek, sure. But on the mouth? No. They only did that if they were in love with each other. And his Prongslet and Draco weren't in love with each other! Harry wasn't gay, he liked girls. Though Teddy couldn't understand why his godfather liked girls. Girls were icky. They had cooties. But Teddy supposed it was an adult thing to like girls.

Draco raised an eyebrow when he heard what his son said and then looked over at Harry who had thumped his head on the table. He snorted inaudibly and took a sip of his tea. His son was up to something, that he was sure about. But what it was, Draco didn't have a clue.

* * *

The following day, it was time to pay a visit to Snape. Harry felt a bit nervous about that. The last time he had seen his former teacher, he was dying in the Shrieking Shack and he had given up some memories. How would react Snape when he saw Harry? It wasn't as if they could stand each other. They had loathed each other when they were in school. And here he was, preparing himself to meet Snape and ask for help.

Harry cringed when he thought about that. Snape would have a laughing fit about that – if the greasy git could laugh.

"Harry, are you ready? Before we visit Severus, we have to bring Scorpius and Teddy to school," Draco yelled at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm ready! Geesh, calm down will you?" Harry said annoyed and slipped on his robe. He wore a dark blue shirt and black pants and his robe was black. He wore his black dragon leather boots. He grabbed his bag with the vial of the poison they had gathered along with the results the other potions masters had come up with in the Ministry.

When he went downstairs, he saw Teddy and Scorpius waiting at the door, both wearing their school bag. As always Teddy was scowling at Scorpius, who did his best to ignore the scowl. Harry wondered why Teddy didn't seem to like Scorpius. He had always gotten on great with younger children, so what was his problem with the young Malfoy?

"Ready to go?" Harry asked and Draco appeared next to him.

He was wearing a white button shirt and black pants with polished black shoes. All designer clothes of course.

The Malfoy Manor wasn't far away from the school, so they decided to walk there, enjoying the sun.

All the while to the school, Scorpius was talking excitedly about what they would be doing this week. Teddy just kept quiet and held Harry's hand – something he hadn't done for years.

Then came the moment Harry hated.

"And when we go into the school, you have to kiss Harry, daddy, 'cause that's what you did with mama too," Scorpius said, completely serious.

Harry shook his head. "No, Scorpius, your daddy and I won't kiss each other in front of your school."

Scorpius pouted again. Draco vaguely thought he had to talk with his son about all that pouting he was doing. Malfoys didn't pout, even if they didn't have their way.

"Why not?"

"Because other people will be watching and they won't like it when your daddy kisses me. They will be very angry," Harry explained. Being angry would be an understatement. If the other parents saw the son of a Death Eater kissing their Saviour, even if it was to avoid a fit from a child, they would probably curse and hex Draco and it would be all over the papers the next morning. Even if Draco could be a real git sometimes, he had his good moments Harry supposed and it would be a shame if this new found friendship caused Draco to land in the hospital.

"Oh," Scorpius said with wide eyes. He didn't understand why the other people would be mad if they saw his daddy kissing Harry, but he didn't think Harry would lie about that. Then how was he supposed to get them kissing? The reason why he let them kiss so much was very simple: Scorpius had seen a movie a few weeks ago and in it, there was a man who would always kiss a woman to show her he liked her. At first the lady didn't want the man and she would always get angry at him, but in the end she fell in love with the man too and she said that one of the reasons why she fell in love was that the man's kisses made her float on clouds. So Scorpius figured that if his daddy kissed Harry many times, they would fall in love with each other soon.

Then he had an idea. "You can kiss now!" he squealed.

Harry stood abrupt still. "No, we can't."

"Why not? There is no one here. We're alone." Scorpius bit on his lower lip.

"Merlin, Harry, let's just give a quick kiss, then it's over and we can move on. I don't fancy standing here all day," Draco said annoyed.

"And I don't fancy kissing you!" Harry glared.

"Too bad." Quickly, before Harry could react, Draco had bent down and gave him a chaste kiss on his mouth.

"I really hate you, Malfoy," Harry muttered and wiped his mouth.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, let's go."

They finally arrived at school and they bent down to give each boy a hug and a kiss on their forehead. Teddy couldn't wait until the day was over. He and Prongslet would be going back to their own house, so this meant that he wouldn't have to spend more time with that annoying little brat, who always took Harry's attention away from him.

Harry had a suspicion he would be in the papers tomorrow with so many people seeing him with Draco Malfoy, bringing the children to school, but he figured he could be bothered with it tomorrow. Now he had to convince Snape first to – god forbid – help him with his case.

Harry and Draco walked out of the street and stepped into a small alley.

"All right, grab my arm. I'm going to Apparate us both to Severus' Manor," Draco ordered.

"I don't like this," Harry muttered, but grabbed Draco's arm nonetheless.

Draco rolled his eyes, but didn't bother to react. They shut their eyes and Draco concentrated on the view of Snape's porch.

After five horrible seconds, in which they travelled through a sort of tube, they ended up in front of a black fence with trees surrounding it.

Harry looked up and his mouth fell open when he saw the size of the manor. It was almost as big as that from the Malfoys and that was saying something. There were huge windows in front of the house and to Harry's surprise there weren't any curtains shutting off the sunlight. The garden was filled with many herbs (Harry assumed it was for Snape's potions), though there were some flowers too. Lilies to be exact. Harry bit on his lip when he saw those flowers; it was obviously meant as a reminder of his mother, Lily Evans.

They walked up the path and knocked on the door, which was painted brown. For a minute it was silent and nothing happened. Then the door opened and there stood Severus Snape, Potions Master; former teacher; nightmare of all students except for them of Slytherin and a former spy. The person who should have been dead, but miraculously survived.

Snape raised an eyebrow when he saw Harry standing next to Draco, but that was the only sign he showed of his surprise when he saw Harry.

"Well, well, who do we have here? What a surprise." His voice was still smooth and dark, but it wasn't as poisonous as it had been in Harry's school years. "Come in. I'm curious as to why you would happen to visit me, Potter." The corners of his mouth turned up in a small sneer.

This would be one visit Harry would never forget. That he was sure about.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, let's see... As warnings for this: an angry Harry, nothing else in particular
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 6**

Snape led them through a hallway into a room that served as a living room and that looked out at a garden behind the house.

"Sit down," Snape ordered them and sat down on a chair near the window.

Now that he sat in the sunlight, Harry could take a better look at him. Nothing much had changed, except that his hair was slightly shorter than it had been in school and he had now a scar in his neck. He was clothed completely in black: a black sweater, black dress pants and black boots.

"Did I pass your inspection, Potter?" Snape sneered and before Harry could retort, the man had called a house elf and ordered some tea.

"So, Draco, care to tell me why you brought Potter with you?" Snape asked, crossing his legs.

Draco glanced at Harry and then back at Snape. "Well, he's here, because he needs your help with a certain potion."

Snape smirked maliciously. "Really? Why am I not surprised? I would have thought that you would have given up on Potions after your pitiful attempts at school."

Harry glared. "I see you're still a bastard. Near death experiences apparently don't do any good to your character."

Snape glowered. "And I see you still are an arrogant boy who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut," he hissed.

Harry shot up from his chair, seething and clenching his wand. If anyone could get underneath his skin so quickly and rile him up, it was Severus Snape. Why he had thought the man would have changed, he didn't know. He voiced his thoughts. "You know, when I heard from Draco you were still alive, I thought this was an opportunity to bury old grudges and start new. Hell, I was even prepared to thank you for saving my arse all the time, but if you're going to be a snarky, pathetic asshole, then you can go to hell for all I care! My God, it's no wonder you don't have any friends if you treat them all like this! I don't even know why my mother liked you in the first place!" he yelled furiously.

That last comment was low; Harry knew it as soon as he had said that. Snape had gone pale and his black eyes were burning. Lily Evans was a sore subject between the two of them. Harry had a feeling he had probably hurt Snape somewhere, but he didn't care for the moment. It had been a mistake to think Snape would ever be willing to help him. That man was stuck in the past and would never let go of his old grudges against Sirius and James. Seeing as neither of them was alive, Snape could do nothing but taunt Harry, because he looked so much like his father and godfather.

"Harry," Draco said in a warning voice. He too had gone pale. He had never expected that it would get out of hand so quickly.

"Oh, fuck this! I'm leaving. I'll see you, Malfoy," Harry snapped and marched his way out of the house, his magic crackling with his anger. As soon as he was outside, he Apparated to his home. He would go to work later, but for now he needed to calm down.

* * *

For a while it was silent in Snape Manor. Draco was torn between going after Harry (for reasons he didn't understand) and staying with his godfather, who was still very pale. He figured it was best to stay with Snape for a while. Harry needed to calm down first.

"Sev, are you all right?" Draco asked softly, his grey eyes showing his concern.

It was a sign of their close relationship that Snape didn't hex him after asking that.

Snape breathed out and rubbed his eyes. "Yes, I'm all right. I just had never thought Potter would use Lily. Not very Gryffindor of him." He chuckled darkly. "In fact it's more a thing a Slytherin would do. Never thought Potter would have some Slytherin in him."

Draco just looked at him. He had never asked what Harry's mother had meant to his godfather, because he didn't want to upset him. But after his reaction, he figured they had been pretty close.

"So, since when does Potter call you by your first name? For that matter, since when do you two show up together without trying to hex each other? And what did Potter mean with that he will see you later?" Snape asked, his voice neutral. Then his eyes widened a bit. Not much, but Draco, who knew him all of his life, had saw it. "Merlin, you're not together, are you?"

"What? No! Of course not! We're just friends," Draco defended himself. _Well, friends who have to kiss each other, because we're ordered to by a six year old child_ , he added as an afterthought, but figured that Snape wouldn't want to hear that.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Just friends? Since when are you two friends?"

"Well, we met each other again a few weeks ago in Diagon Alley. Scorpius had disappeared and Harry had found him. Scorpius suggested we could be friends and we decided to give it a chance, because the war is over now and my father is gone," Draco explained. "We had dinner the following evening and I met Teddy, my cousin. After that we didn't see each other for two weeks until I saw him back in the Ministry where he was about to collapse. He told me about the case he had and that he was looking for a Potions Master who could help him identify an unknown ingredient in a poison. I suggested we visited you. He seemed rather shocked to hear that you were still alive," he mused. "Why didn't you tell him you survived?"

"Why would I? I own him nothing. Several weeks after the final battle I woke up in the hospital and they told me I could leave whenever I wanted. It didn't come up in my mind to notify an arrogant brat that I still lived," Snape sneered.

"Well, that arrogant brat was planning to thank you for saving his life and he had put his pride away to ask you for help. I think the least you could have done was just listen to him instead of immediately insulting him," Draco said softly. "Is it any wonder that he insulted you too and tried to hurt you with bringing up his mother?"

For once in his life, Snape couldn't retort. Instead he just glared, but Draco saw he was thinking about what he had said.

"Why have you never talked about his mother with him?" Draco asked curiously. He figured Harry would have appreciated that.

Snape sneered. "Why would I? He never seemed interested in his mother. Besides, if he wanted to know about his mother, then he should have asked the mutt and the wolf about her."

"Maybe he didn't have a chance to do that?" Draco suggested.

Snape snorted.

Draco sighed. "Listen, just give him a chance. Try to talk to him instead of immediately insulting him. I think you would be surprised if you did that. I also think that Harry would really appreciate it if you talked about his mother."

Snape looked at him with unreadable eyes. "Why are so concerned with trying to get me getting along with Potter?"

Draco stared at the ceiling while he thought about that question. "Why indeed? I don't know. It's just a suggestion."

"I will think about it," Snape said in a neutral voice.

After that, the conversation was about Scorpius.

* * *

Teddy frowned when he saw the state his godfather was in. Harry's mouth was thin, a sign that he had been furious and still angry was. He was tapping his foot, a sign that he was impatient.

Teddy wondered what had happened while he was in school. Had he had a fight with Draco? Or had he had a fight with that man that they were going to visit?

"Prongslet?" Teddy asked hesitatingly when he arrived in front of his godfather.

Harry nodded at him and did his best to make his smile less strained. "Hey Teddy, did you have a nice day at school?"

"Yes, it was fun. How was your day?" Teddy asked and grabbed Harry's hand, fearing for a moment that Harry would shake him off. He didn't.

Harry breathed put slowly. "Oh, nothing special."

"Harry!"

They both turned around to see Scorpius running towards them with a huge smile on his face. His teacher, a woman with short brown hair that was in a ponytail, hurried after him.

Scorpius squealed and hugged Harry around his legs, ignoring the dirty look he received from Teddy.

"Scorpius! You just can't go running off! I'm sorry, Mister Potter, but I couldn't hold him back anymore," the woman apologized and pushed a string of hair back. "Do you know Scorpius?"

"Yes, he's the son of a friend of mine," Harry smiled politely.

The woman's eyes widened. "Oh, you're friends with Draco Malfoy. Well, I guess I can leave him with you then?"

"Yes, no problem," Harry nodded. Yes, this would definitely be in the papers tomorrow.

"Look, Harry, look! I made a picture for you!" Scorpius said enthusiastically and waved a piece of paper in the air, while jumping up and down.

Before taking the paper, Harry led the two boys to a bench underneath a tree. He figured he could wait there until Draco arrived to pick up his son.

As soon as they were seated, Scorpius scrambled into Harry's lap and waved the paper in his face. "Look, look!"

Harry smiled and took the paper. His smile froze when he saw what Scorpius had drawn. It was of him, Teddy, Scorpius and Draco. The drawn Scorpius and Teddy were sitting on a bench, playing with a ball. Scorpius had drawn Harry and Draco next to each other and it looked like they were holding hands; they had big smiles on their faces and above them, there were several hearts drawn that were colored red.

Teddy peered at the paper from where he was seated next to Harry and blinked when he saw what the boy had drawn. Huh, there was definitely something wrong with that kid. No way would that ever happen.

"Do you like it? Is it pretty?" Scorpius asked, his grey eyes wide and he was bouncing up and down on Harry's lap.

Absently, Harry curled an arm around Scorpius' back to avoid him falling of his lap. "It's very pretty, Scorpius. You can draw very well," Harry praised the little blond boy on his lap, who beamed and hugged him.

Harry wondered why Scorpius had drawn something like that, but thought nothing of it. Maybe Scorpius just wanted to show that Harry and Draco were friends and he hadn't found a better symbol for friendship than a heart. Yes, that was it, probably, nothing else.

Harry folded the paper and wanted to give it back to Scorpius, but the boy refused to take it back.

"No, it's for you! You have to keep it!" Scorpius grinned and gave Harry a kiss on his cheek, like he did with his daddy when he had drawn something for him.

Teddy's brown eyes flashed in jealousy. He curled up against Harry's shoulder and nudged his arm. Harry looked down with a smile and embraced Teddy.

"There you are, Scorpius! Why weren't you waiting at the gate with your teacher?" Draco asked and walked over to them, raising an eyebrow when he saw his son sitting on Harry's lap. It seemed that every time he saw his son in the company of Harry, Scorpius was somehow clinging to Harry.

Scorpius pouted. "I saw Harry and I wanted to give him my picture," he said proudly.

Draco looked over at Harry, who shrugged. "Is that so? Have you made a picture for me too?"

Scorpius nodded. "But I give it to you when we are home, daddy," the boy grinned.

"Well, then, let's go home, shall we?" Draco smiled and picked up Scorpius from his place on Harry's lap. He settled his son on his hip and Scorpius laid his little arms around his neck.

Scorpius looked back at Harry, who stood up too and held Teddy's hand.

"Are you coming to our house too, Harry?" he asked, his eyes shining.

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, Scorpius, but I can't. I have to go to my own house with Teddy."

Scorpius' lower lip started to tremble again, but Harry stood his ground. He couldn't always give in to the boy. He needed to learn that he couldn't always get what he wanted. "No, Scorpius, I really can't come, but I promise you I'll visit you soon, okay?"

Scorpius, understanding that for now he wouldn't get his way, nodded. "Okay, Harry, bye, bye." He waved.

"Bye, bye." Harry waved back and nodded at Draco, ignoring his questioning gaze.

Harry grabbed Teddy tightly and Apparated to his home.

Draco sighed and walked with Scorpius on his hip to Malfoy Manor. Well, at least Harry didn't ignore him or hex him. But he would really need to talk with Harry about Snape. How unpleasant the man could be sometimes, he was still Harry's only chance to capture the culprit.

* * *

Draco had just put Scorpius in his bed that evening when Scorpius gave him a folded paper. Thinking that this must be the picture his son had drawn for him, he opened it and looked at it. He could do nothing but stare at it puzzled. Scorpius had drawn himself, Draco, Teddy and Harry. Teddy was reading a book, Scorpius was playing with some sort of toy and he and Harry were sitting next to each other on the grass… with another child on Harry's lap. This drawn child had black hair and his eyes (that Scorpius had made bigger so you could clearly see the color of the eyes) were grey. Scorpius had dressed the unknown boy in a red sweater and blue jeans. Who was this child?

"Do you like it?" Scorpius' high voice cut through his thoughts and he turned around to see Scorpius smiling.

"Of course I like it; it's beautiful," Draco praised him, smiling. Scorpius beamed. "But Scorpius, who is this third child in your picture?"

Scorpius looked at the picture and started naming the people on it. "This is Teddy, reading a book and this is me, playing with my dragon. You and Harry sit on the grass and you're laughing. That little boy with Harry is my little brother," he announced proud.

Draco stared at him. "Scorpius, you don't have a little brother," he said carefully, trying to figure out why Scorpius would have drawn a brother that didn't exist.

Instead of crying or throwing a fit, Scorpius began to giggle. "Silly daddy! I know I don't have a little brother now, but you and Harry will give me a little brother to play with."

Draco decided to play along. "Oh, and where will this little brother come from?"

"He comes out Harry's belly," Scorpius announced, proud that he had remembered where the babies came from. He had once asked his mommy where babies came from and she said that they came from a woman's belly. Scorpius figured that would apply to men as well.

"And why will this boy come out Harry's belly?" Draco asked, now really confused. Scorpius didn't mean what Draco thought he meant, did he?

"Because you and Harry will marry and then there comes a baby in Harry's belly," Scorpius explained.

Draco thought it was best to leave Scorpius' fantasy intact for tonight. He would explain his son tomorrow why there would never be a little brother for him, because he and Harry would never get married. Harry was straight – that was one of the major reasons why that would never happen.

"Okay, Scorpius, if you say so," Draco smiled and gave his son a kiss on his forehead. "Now be a good boy and go to sleep, all right?"

"Yes, daddy," Scorpius smiled and snuggled down in his sheets. "Good night, daddy.

"Good night, son," Draco smiled and closed the door behind him. He took one look at the picture again before putting it on his desk.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As warning for this: the villain being mentioned again
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 7**

A couple of weeks later, Draco had a guest. Severus Snape was standing in his doorway with a scowl on his face and his mouth thin.

"Come in, Sev," Draco smiled and let the man into his living room where Scorpius was drawing pictures with his crayons.

Scorpius looked up and smiled when he saw his uncle Sev. "Hello, uncle Sev," he grinned and hugged the man's legs.

Snape patted him on his head. "Good afternoon, Scorpius."

Scorpius went back to his pictures, though his ears were strained because he wanted to know what his daddy would talk about with his uncle.

The two men took a seat on the chairs nearby the window.

"Forgive me for asking, but what is the reason for your visit?" Draco asked smiling.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I can't visit my godson and my nephew?"

"We both know that you don't do social visits just for the sake of talking, Sev, so you can tell me what this is about," Draco smirked.

Snape sighed. "Impertinent brat," he muttered. Draco grinned. "Very well, I have thought about what you have said a couple of weeks ago about Potter."

"And?" Draco inquired curiously.

"I decided that for your sake and that of your son, I will make an effort to have a civil conversation with Potter and help him with his case," Snape said stiffly.

"Really now? You actually mean it?" Draco mused.

Snape glared. "Yes, I mean it. Don't make me say it again."

Draco chuckled. "Fine, he will be pleased with your help."

"In what kind of dream world do you live, Dragon?" Snape asked dryly and shook his head.

Draco laughed. "Well, I'm sure he will appreciate it – as long as you keep your insults to the minimum."

Snape rolled his eyes. Then his eyes caught a few pictures lying on the table next to him. Draco had stood up to see what Scorpius was drawing. He picked them up and looked at them. He raised his eyebrow when he saw what Scorpius had drawn. The pictures all contained Draco and Potter. There was one where they were kissing with hearts above them; another one with a black haired child and grey eyes on Potter's lap with the words 'my little brother' in a childish handwriting above the boy and – here Snape snorted – one with Potter who had a round stomach and Draco next to him. Scorpius had drawn a little arrow that pointed at Potter's stomach and he had written 'brother in Harry's belly'.

What was the meaning of these pictures? Scorpius had drawn the men as if they were a couple who were married and had a child. What was that boy thinking?

"You know, it's rude to look at pictures that aren't yours." Draco's dry voice cut through Snape's thoughts.

He ignored the remark and waved the pictures in the air. "Draco, what is the meaning of this? Why is your son drawing you and Potter as if you were a couple? He even drew Potter pregnant – which is a rather humorous sight, I have to admit," he snorted.

Draco sighed and sat down while he rubbed in his eyes. "Scorpius has somehow stuck it in his mind that Harry and I belong together and that we should get married and have a baby. I tried to tell him that won't happen, but he's stubborn and refuses to listen to me. Instead, he keeps making pictures of Harry and me together. He even gave Harry some pictures."

"Hm, and what does Potter say of this?"

"He tried to tell Scorpius as well that that won't happen, but Scorpius refuses to listen to him too. Instead, he orders me to kiss Harry every time we see each other." Draco rolled his eyes.

Snape stared at him. "Are you serious?"

Draco nodded. "I don't know why, but we have to. You should see Harry's face every time," he chuckled.

Before Snape could react, the doorbell rang. They heard a house elf opening the door. It must have been someone who knew Draco, because a few seconds later they heard footsteps coming towards the living room.

Scorpius squealed when Harry appeared in the doorway, looking agitated. "Harry!" He bounced towards the man and held up his hands.

Automatically Harry picked him up and settled him on his hip, as he was used to by now. Teddy appeared next to him, clutching Harry's pants and biting on his lip.

"Draco, I need your help," Harry started and walked towards Draco, but froze when he saw Snape sitting next to Draco. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company."

"It's nothing, in fact Snape has something to tell you," Draco said and nudged Snape with his elbow, earning a dirty look.

"I'm sorry, but that has to wait. Draco, do you mind watching Teddy for a few hours?" Harry asked, stroking his hand through his hair.

"Of course not, but did something happen?" Draco asked concerned.

Harry nodded grimly. "Another victim. I have to go immediately, but Andromeda can't watch Teddy, because she's gone on a vacation. So could you?"

"Yes, no problem," Draco smiled.

"Thank Merlin!" Harry muttered and set Scorpius back down on the floor. He bent down so he could look Teddy in his eyes. "All right, so you're going to stay here for a few hours, until I'm able to pick you up. I'll see you soon." Teddy nodded and Harry gave him a quick kiss on his forehead.

"I want a kissy too." Scorpius puckered his lips.

Harry smiled weakly and gave him a quick kiss too.

"I'll see you later, Draco. Snape," Harry added as an afterthought.

Draco nodded and immediately Harry disappeared again.

"So, Teddy, what do you want to do?" Draco asked.

Teddy shrugged, his pink hair turning black. "Do you have books about fairytales?" he asked shyly.

Draco nodded pensively. "I think I do have some books." He walked to the bookcase and after a little search he had found a few books. He came back and handed them over to Teddy. "Here you are."

"Thank you," Teddy said softly and walked over towards a couch where he climbed up and began to read.

"So, that is Potter's godson?" Snape asked in a neutral voice.

Draco nodded.

Snape snorted. "Let me guess; the son of the wolf."

"Yes." Draco glanced at him.

"It figures the wolf would choose Potter." Snape shook his head. "Can you tell me about that case Potter is working on and the effects of that poison?"

So, Draco launched himself into the explanation, after warning Snape that he only knew a little bit from it.

"Hm, so no one could identify the last ingredient," Snape mused.

Draco shook his head. "They said they don't know it, so it's probably from another country."

"Could be. But we only know for sure if I can examine that poison." Snape murmured.

* * *

It was almost seven o'clock when Harry finally appeared. He looked exhausted and he nearly collapsed in the couch.

Scorpius stopped drawing and climbed on Harry's lap and hugged him. Not wanting to be left out, Teddy cuddled up against Harry's side with his head on his shoulder.

Draco and Snape came to sit in front of him in another couch.

"Tell me what happened," Draco demanded.

Harry glanced at the two children clinging to him and conjured a bubble around them so that they couldn't hear what was said. Harry didn't want them to know what had happened. Cases like these weren't suited for children's ears.

"He steered away from his pattern this time," Harry began, still shivering from what he had seen. "He poisoned two this time. They were only children; a six year old boy and a nine year old boy. They were friends and were playing near a field. He must have offered them something to drink, because we found two bottles of apple juice with them. He had put the poison in them. That bastard has left them there until they were found by their parents who grew worried when they didn't arrive for their snack. They were brought to Saint Mungos, but of course they can't help them without the right antidote. Today one of his first victims died; it was a married woman who stayed at home. So we have one other clue: the victims die after three months. The Healers expect that in the next few weeks two other victims will die too."

"Do you have pictures of the children? Maybe I can see something that will tell me what kind of poison it was," Snape suddenly said.

Harry glanced at him, but was too worn out to protest, so he searched through his bag until he found the photos.

Draco went pale when he saw how the two boys looked. The six year one had blond hair and light blue eyes, almost grey; the other one had brown eyes and hair.

"They look like…"

"Teddy and Scorpius? Yeah, I noticed that too," Harry said grimly.

"Is this a coincidence?" Draco asked appalled.

Harry took a deep breath. "I wish it was. But no, when I was back at the office, I received a letter." With that, he gave the letter to Draco.

_Dear Mister Potter_

_It was always my dream to have your attention. And look now, I have it! I know you want to find me, but I can assure you that won't happen anytime soon. You will only find me when I reveal myself to you. I can't wait to see your face!_

_But I can't let you get too close to me before I'm ready to show myself. Consider those two little boys as a warning. I'm keeping an eye on you, Mister Potter and I can't help but notice that you can often be found in the company of one Mister Draco Malfoy and his sweet boy. Scorpius is such a lovely child, isn't he? And don't get me started on your godson, Teddy Lupin. He's a cute boy too. It would be such a shame if something happened to them. An accident can happen so quickly, don't you think that too?_

_Now I don't care what you're doing with Mister Malfoy. For all I care you can shag him as many times as you want. Though I have to admit you would make such a lovely family with your two boys and Malfoy. If his looks in public are anything to go by with, I'd say you're already forming a family. Wouldn't that be nice?_

_If I were you, I would start to calm down with all your field work. Why don't you concentrate on your family? I always have known you wanted a family, so why don't grab your chance?_

_I look forward to meeting you in person._

_Sincerely_

_An admirer_

"This is disgusting," Draco said glaring. "How low could you fall? Threatening children?"

Harry nodded. "I know."

"Well, what are you going to do, Potter?" Snape asked and folded the letter.

Harry sighed and looked down at the boys near him. Scorpius had laid his head on Harry's chest and his eyes were drooping. He was close to falling asleep. The same thing with Teddy. Teddy was occasionally yawning and was fighting against the sleep. "I don't know. Now I received this, I definitely want to find this person and watch him getting the Kiss from the Dementors, but I don't want to risk Teddy's or Scorpius' lives."

"I know this will go against your Gryffindor rules, but I think you should stop your involvement in this case," Snape said. He held his hand in the air when Harry started to protest. "Think about it, Potter. This person may sound crazy and I don't doubt he is insane, but you should know that this sort is the most dangerous culprit. He already has watched you without your knowledge and he knows about Draco's son and your godson. If he can discover all this, how long do you think it will be before he attacks the children?"

Harry kept quiet, biting his lip.

"It is clear that he decided to attack these people because he wanted your attention. Well, good, he got it. I suspect now that he will maybe poison a few others and then stop. After a while he will contact you. He already lets you know you won't be able to capture him before he's willing to show himself. You don't have a single clue as to who could have done it, so there is no point in chasing a shadow. The best thing you could do now is withdraw from the case and stay somewhere safe. As loathe as I am to say this, I think it's best if you stay here. The manor is the best protected place, besides Hogwarts. If you don't care about your safety, then think about that of the children, more specifically your godson," Snape finished calmly.

Harry bit on his lip and stared at the ceiling. What should he choose?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: cute Scorpius and civil Snape
> 
> Also, it could be that starting tomorrow the updates won't be daily. College starts tomorrow, so there will be days where I won't have enough time to post. Regardless, I try to keep up my frequent updating schedule
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 8**

"If you're worried about what I think, then you don't have to worry. You're more than welcome to stay," Draco said after a moment of silence.

Harry looked at him. "I don't want to intrude."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You won't intrude. I have lots of rooms that you can choose from."

"Well, all right. I stop working on the case. I will notify Kingsley about it tomorrow. He won't be happy about it," Harry murmured.

"Do you have a vial with that poison with you, Potter?" Snape asked.

"Yes." Without refusing, Harry gave him the small vial.

Snape studied it. "Hm, it's not much, but I manage. I will start researching it tomorrow."

"Thank you," Harry muttered without meeting his eyes.

Snape looked at him. "You're welcome."

"Well, I suppose we should get your and Teddy's stuff seeing as you're staying here now." Draco clapped in his hands and stood up.

Harry looked surprised. "What? Now?"

"Yes, why not? You're going to live here, so we can pick up your stuff now. Saves you from having to travel back and forth between your house and mine. It would be ridiculous if you went home tonight and then tomorrow would move in. You can move in tonight," Draco stated.

"But what about Teddy? He doesn't know about the plan," Harry protested.

"I'm sure he won't object; especially when he hears that you will quit this case." Draco winked.

"I may be quitting this case, but that doesn't mean I stop being an Auror," Harry warned him.

"Don't you think it's more prudent if you stop completely with your Auror work until the culprit is caught? Stopping with his case doesn't mean he will leave you alone if you work on other cases," Snape interjected calmly.

"I agreed with stopping with this case and moving in in this house, but I refuse to stop entirely with my work. There's nothing you can change about that," Harry said stubbornly.

"Fine, have it your way, stubborn brat." Snape scowled.

"So, Harry and I will go pick up the necessary stuff and Sev can watch the children," Draco said.

Snape glared, but stayed seated.

"Give me a minute to explain it to Teddy," Harry replied tiredly.

Draco nodded and picked up Scorpius, who blinked sleepily.

"Teddy, there is something I need to tell you," Harry muttered and stroked with his hand through his godson's black hair.

Teddy yawned and rubbed his eyes, sitting up. "What's the matter, Prongslet?"

"Something happened at work and Draco and I decided it was best if you and I moved in with Draco temporarily until the problems are solved," Harry explained.

Teddy looked confused. "What happened?"

"No need to know that. Are you okay with living here for a while?"

Teddy nodded slowly. "I guess so."

"Good; now Draco and I are going to pick up some stuff from our house and then we come back. You will stay here with Scorpius and professor Snape," Harry said with a smile.

"I seem to recall that I'm not a professor anymore, so you can drop the professor, Potter," Snape said dryly.

"What does he have to call you then?" Harry asked politely, not wanting to shatter this strange truce.

"I call uncle Sev uncle. Teddy can do that too," Scorpius said happily and bounced towards Snape. From his beaming face, Harry concluded Draco had told him that Harry and Teddy moved in with them.

Harry looked at Snape.

"I suppose I can tolerate that," Snape huffed.

Harry smiled secretly.

"Here." Draco gave him his robe. "Ready to go?"

Harry nodded and with a last wave to Teddy and Scorpius, he walked out of the Manor, together with Draco. As soon as they could, they Apparated; Draco holding on to Harry because he didn't know where Harry lived.

Draco blinked when they arrived at a cottage near an open field. "And here I thought you would be living in Grimmauld Place."

Harry chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I never wanted to live in Grimmauld Place."

"Why not? From what I've heard, your godfather has left it to you."

"Too many bad memories. Besides, it would take years to get the whole house clean again," Harry explained calmly and opened his door.

"Is it that bad?"

"Oh yes."

"I thought there was a house elf there. Didn't he clean the place up once in a while?"

They walked to Harry's bedroom.

"There was a house elf, but he was too old and he didn't do a thing in that house except muttering vile things about us and Sirius and praising Sirius' dead mother, who had her painting on the wall. I never met such a bitch in my life." Harry shook his head amused.

"Yes, I remember her," Draco muttered.

They began filling the suitcases with Harry's clothes (Draco blushed when they came to the underwear) and then proceeded with Teddy's clothes and toys (they were mainly books, but he had a few stuffed animals that he didn't want to throw away which amused Harry because the stuffed animals represented the Marauders: a wolf for Moony, a black dog for Padfoot and a stag for Prongs. Harry had wisely left out the rat.).

"Is this all?" Draco asked when they were back in the entrance hall.

"Yes, we can go back to relieve Snape from his babysit duties," Harry said dryly.

Draco chuckled and shook his head.

* * *

It was half past nine when they arrived back in the Manor. Harry looked around when he saw none of the boys.

Snape saw him looking. "I ordered a house elf to give them supper considering it was late. They've gone to bed half an hour ago."

"Oh."

"Severus, are you staying for dinner?" Draco asked and shrugged off his coat. "Take these suitcases to Harry's and Teddy's rooms, please," he said to a house elf that had popped up next to him.

"Yes, master Draco. Belke will do it," the elf squeaked and disappeared with the suitcases.

"I don't see why not," Snape sighed.

While the house elves prepared their late dinner, Draco, Snape and Harry went to the dining room and enjoyed some wine.

"Tell me, Mister Potter, why it is that I haven't heard you mention Weasley's or Granger's name once. Wouldn't Miss Granger be able of deciphering which ingredient you haven't been able to identify?" Snape asked suddenly.

Draco hid a smirk; Snape was trying to have a civil conversation with Harry. Hopefully Harry wouldn't take this question the wrong way.

"I haven't seen Ron or Hermione for quite a while, sir," Harry answered neutrally.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "And why is that? I seem to recall that you three were inseparable," he sneered a bit.

Draco looked at him warningly when Harry narrowed his eyes. Instead of lashing out, like he wanted to, Harry took a deep breath before answering.

"We had … numerous fights and eventually we stopped talking to each other. The last time I heard something from them, they were living in France," Harry answered with a grimace.

"Those fights must have been horrible if they stopped you from talking to each other," Snape mused.

Harry stared at him. "If you're curious about the fights, then you could just ask about them instead of being evasive," he huffed.

Snape smirked. "Now where is the fun in that? Are you willing to tell me what happened?"

"Since when are you so curious about my life?" Harry asked.

Snape leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers against each other. "Humor me."

Harry rolled his eyes. "When Teddy was five, I broke up with Ginny because I caught her in bed with another man. Turns out she was cheating on me for a while before that. Ron was convinced that I was hallucinating when I caught his sister with another man and claimed that she would never do that. He wouldn't believe me. Hermione believed me, but she thought I should give Ginny another chance. She tried to get Ginny and I back together numerous times, until I finally blew up on them and told them that they should stop interfering in my life. That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because after that they never spoke to me again and moved to France," Harry finished his explanation.

"I always knew Miss Granger was a know – it – all. The Weasley clan has always been too stubborn," Snape sneered.

"Was the tale as interesting as you thought it would be or did I disappoint you with my boring life?" Harry asked sarcastically.

Snape smirked. "It will do to amuse me."

Harry rolled his eyes, while Draco chuckled.

* * *

When dinner ended, Snape went home, taking the vial with the poison with him.

Draco and Harry were sitting in front of the fireplace. It was October so it began to feel a bit chilly outside and the fire was lit.

"See, you can have a decent conversation with Severus without insulting or hexing each other," Draco couldn't help but pointing out.

"Don't get used to it," Harry grimaced.

Draco rolled his eyes and glanced at the grandfather clock standing next to the fireplace. "It's eleven o'clock; what do you say of hitting the sack?"

Harry stretched and stood up. "Good idea. I'm going to check on Teddy; see if he's still awake."

Draco nodded.

Harry tiptoed to Teddy's bedroom which was next to his and opened the door carefully. Teddy was fast asleep, lying on his back with a book open on his chest. Harry smiled and placed the book on the nightstand before pulling the sheets a bit higher. He stroked over Teddy's hair that was blue and half long and gave him a light kiss on his forehead. "Sleep well, Teddy," he whispered.

Teddy sighed contentedly in his sleep and turned on his side.

With a sigh, Harry walked into his new bedroom (noticing that it was the one he had stayed in last weekend), changed into his pyjamas and collapsed in bed. It had been a very tiring day. His last thought before sleep took over was how he was supposed to tell Kingsley he retired from the case.

* * *

Harry blinked groggily and sat up in his bed. When he cast a Tempus spell, he noticed that it was only a quarter to three. It was still night; nowhere close to waking up. What had woken him up then?

A tiny hand on his leg explained it.

"Lumos," he muttered and the light revealed Scorpius standing next to his bed, with his thumb in his mouth, looking afraid.

"Scorpius, what's wrong? Why aren't you asleep?" Harry asked confused, his voice rough from sleep and he sat up.

"I had a bad dream," the boy mumbled, still with his thumb in his mouth. "I wanted to go to daddy, but it's too dark and then I remember you were close, so I come here. Can I sleep with you, Harry? Please? I'm scared. I don't want to sleep alone."

Harry nodded and opened the sheets and made room for the boy to climb in. Scorpius smiled gratefully and scrambled in the bed, snuggling closer to Harry who opened his arms and cuddled him.

"All right, go to sleep; I promise you won't get a bad dream again," Harry whispered sleepily.

Scorpius nodded and buried his face in Harry's chest, relishing in the comfortable warmth. His mummy had never allowed him to do that. She said he was a big boy and could stay in his own bed even if he had a nightmare. His daddy didn't mind it when he climbed in bed with him during the night, but his daddy was too far away to go to when it was dark. The dark was scary.

Within a few minutes Scorpius fell back to sleep and just like Harry had promised, he didn't have any nightmares.

* * *

When Draco opened the door to Scorpius' room the following morning, he noted surprised that his son wasn't in his bed. He glanced at his watch; ten to seven. Normally Scorpius was still asleep on this hour and he wouldn't wake up easily. Where was he? He walked out of the room and tried to figure out where his son could be at this hour.

His ears caught the sound of a door opening a few rooms from Scorpius' room. Harry had woken up apparently.

He turned to Harry to ask him if he knew where Scorpius could be, when his eyes widened.

"All right, Scorpius, go brush your teeth and change into your school clothes. I see you downstairs for breakfast, okay?" Harry said smiling.

Scorpius stood in front of him and grinned. "Yes, Harry." He hugged Harry's legs and ran towards the bathroom. Harry shook his head while laughing.

"Eh, Harry, why was my son in your room?" Draco asked and walked towards the other man.

Harry turned around and ranked a hand through his hair. "He came to me around three o'clock, because he had a nightmare. He was too scared to find his way in the dark to you and figured that seeing as I was closer, he would come to me," he replied shrugging.

"So he slept in your bed," Draco said dryly.

Harry nodded. "And nearly kicked me out of it too. He's a restless sleeper," he chuckled.

Draco shook his head fondly and together they walked downstairs. "Are you telling Kingsley today that you're quitting the case?"

Harry grimaced and took a seat at the table where the house elves were placing breakfast. "Yes, though I don't have an idea as to how he will react. He doesn't like it when Aurors quit with a case."

"He just has to accept it."

* * *

Once again, Harry and Draco brought Scorpius and Teddy to school before Harry Apparated to the Ministry. Before he Apparated, Draco had giving him an encouraging squeeze in his arm and a whispered 'good luck'. For some reason that gave Harry a warm feeling.

Several Aurors nodded to him in greeting when he passed them and he nodded back. Finally he arrived at Kingsley's office. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in," Kingsley's low voice said.

Harry schooled his face in his calm mask and opened the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit more information about the poison - I adjusted the information to suit the story, so it isn't correct
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 9**

"Harry, it's good to see you," Kingsley smiled. He gestured towards the chair in front of his desk where he was signing papers. "Take a seat, please."

Harry sat down and crossed his legs.

"Now, what can I do for you? Do you have a clue as to who has poisoned these people?" Kingsley asked, sounding rather eager.

Harry shook his head ruefully. "No, I'm sorry; I still don't have a clue. Actually I'm here to tell you that I quit this case."

Kingsley leaned back with a pensive look on his face. "What do you mean you quit this case? You're the best Auror we have! Is this because you want vacation? If that's the case, I can give you a week maximum, but longer isn't possible."

"It's not about vacation, sir. This case is getting too personal for my liking and I want to quit with it before it goes too far." Harry shook his head.

Kingsley frowned. "Personal? How can this be personal? Unless you're family of one of the victims, but I don't think that's true."

"No, they're not family of me, but I received a letter from the culprit yesterday in which he said he would harm my godson and another boy I'm fond of if I didn't quit this case. Those little boys yesterday were a warning for me," Harry replied tiredly. "Don't get me wrong; I desperately want to catch that villain, but not at the cause of my godson's life. I simply can't risk it, sir. He already knows how the boys look like. I don't want them to get hurt."

"Who is this other boy? You don't have a son, do you?"

"No, it's the son of ..." Harry hesitated. He didn't know how Shacklebolt would react at hearing this news. "It's the son of Draco Malfoy, sir."

"Since when are you associating with Malfoy? Do I need to be concerned, Harry?" Kingsley asked, masking his worry.

Harry shook his head. "No, sir. Draco and I buried our grudges and formed a friendship. I visit them often and apparently the villain noticed this too."

"Are you sure Malfoy can be trusted?"

"Yes, I'm positive of that. Draco may look like his father, but he is nothing like him. I would never have defended him in his trial if I believed otherwise."

Kingsley sighed. "It's not my business who you befriend, as long as it doesn't interfere with your work. I'm not happy about you quitting this case, but if your godson is in danger, I think it's safe to place you on another case."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said relieved.

"No need to thank me. I will look through the cases to see which one I will assign to you."

Harry nodded and stood up. "Thank you for your time, sir."

Shacklebolt smiled and nodded.

When Harry closed the door of his office behind him, he let out a relieved sigh. He still wasn't happy to quit this case, but he didn't want to risk Teddy's or Scorpius' lives. They were more important to him than his Auror work.

* * *

Draco startled when the fireplace flared up and Snape stepped out.

"Oh, did you miss me already?" he smirked and looked up from his papers.

Snape glared. "You're still not too old to be put over my lap to discipline you, Draco."

Draco raised his hands in a form of surrender. "What's the matter? I thought you were checking the potion?"

"I was," Snape agreed and cleaned his robes from the dust before sitting down in a chair. "And I think I found the missing ingredient, though I'm not sure if I discovered the right one."

Draco frowned. "Why would you not be sure? You're the best Potions master there is."

Snape snorted at the compliment. "The reason why I'm not sure is because this missing ingredient isn't that common in the potions world. Even I have never seen it before."

"Well, what do you think it is?" Draco asked curiously.

"I narrowed down my search results based on the symptoms Potter described. There are not many plants or stones that cause that effect."

"And which ones did you found?"

"There are three possibilities. The first one is the poison of the Akeyra."

At seeing Draco's puzzled face, Snape elaborated, "The Akeyra is a type of snake that's very rare. From what I heard there are only forty snakes alive of that sort. They live deep in the Amazon forest and only a few people have seen it. Their poison is said to be very dangerous and causes the heart to go in overdrive and causing stomach pain. I'm not sure if it can bring someone in coma unless it reacts in some sort of way with the other ingredients, but I doubt that. Because of that, it's illegal to have this poison."

"And the other two possibilities?"

"The second possible ingredient is the blue ringed octopus. Its poison is the strongest neuropoison in the world. It causes the muscles to relax and when it reaches the heart, it can make it go into overdrive. Coupled with the other ingredients I think it can cause the victims to fall into a coma," Snape said gravely.

Draco gulped. "And the last possibility?"

"The Roche de la Mort."

"Excuse me? That sounds French like."

"It is. Literally it means the stone of death."

"What a nice name to have."

Snape snorted. "Indeed. This one is the best candidate, seeing as it fits all the symptoms. You have to crush the stone and then make an extract from it, though this process requires a month long preparation. The only thing is that it doesn't disappear from the bloodstream in one hour while the poison of the blue ringed octopus does."

"So, we have three possibilities. How are we going to eliminate two?" Draco asked pensively.

"Unless I can get my hands on more potion, I don't think we can eliminate two possibilities." Snape shook his head ruefully.

"The problem is, how are we going to get our hands on more poison? It's not like the murderer will just show up and give it to us," Draco murmured.

"I don't know, Dragon, but as long as I don't have that poison, I can't determine which ingredient it is." Snape stood up. "I trust you'll pass this information on to Potter?"

"Why don't you explain it to him? You're after all the one who discovered the possibilities." Draco raised an eyebrow.

"We may have had a civil conversation last night, but that doesn't mean we're friends now. I think it's best if we don't talk too much in one time," Snape explained, rolling his eyes.

"Well, if you're sure about it," Draco said, sighing.

"Yes, I'm sure. I will see you later, Dragon." Snape nodded to him and Flood away.

"He can be such a stubborn git, sometimes," Draco muttered amused.

* * *

This time it was Draco who went to pick up the children from school. Scorpius grinned and ran to him while Teddy walked calmly towards him.

"Where is Harry, daddy?" Scorpius asked and skipped next to him while Teddy followed Draco on his other side.

"He's at his work," Teddy answered curtly.

"When does he get home?" Scorpius asked pouting.

"When he's done," Teddy answered annoyed.

To avoid a fight, Draco asked quickly, "And Scorpius, what did you do today at school?"

Immediately, Scorpius started to talk enthusiastically about his day at school.

When they got home, Scorpius immediately went to his toys to play with them while Teddy sat at the table, working on his homework.

"If you need help, you can ask me, okay?" Draco smiled and placed a glass with apple juice in front of Teddy.

Teddy nodded absently and bit on his quill and scribbled an answer.

Suddenly, a flyer caught Draco's attention. "May I read that?" He gestured towards the flyer.

Teddy looked up and nodded.

Draco picked it up and scanned over it quickly. It was a flyer announcing the parents' evening of Teddy's class. It was held this Friday and at the bottom of the flyer, Teddy's teacher had written a message for Harry.

_Mister Potter_

_I need to speak with you about Teddy at the parents' evening. It's about his constant change of his appearance. Could you make sure you are present at this evening?_

_Sincerely_

_Isabella Hearp_

"Teddy, did you know your teacher has written something on the bottom of this flyer for Harry?" Draco inquired and put the flyer down on the table.

Teddy bit on his lip and refused to look at Draco. "Yes."

"Do you know what she has written?"

"I can guess," Teddy answered softly.

"Does this happen often that the teacher wants to talk with Harry about your changing abilities?" Draco asked curiously.

Teddy hesitated. "Every year."

"What does Harry say about that?"

"I don't know. I'm always with grandmother then. He doesn't say anything to me about it," Teddy replied with a small voice. "Do you think I'm in trouble? Will Harry be mad at me?"

"I don't know, Teddy, but I don't think Harry will be mad at you. He wasn't exactly a follower of rules himself," Draco answered dryly. Teddy smiled weakly. "Now why don't you continue with your homework? Harry won't be home for a few hours I suspect."

* * *

"Again?" Harry sighed, when he arrived at the manor, three hours later. He had shrugged off his Auror robes and collapsed on the couch. Teddy had timidly gave him the flyer and then waited in front of him with his head down, waiting for a scolding.

Draco came to sit next to him. "So you're familiar with the message?" he asked dryly.

Harry nodded grimly. "You can say that. Ever since Teddy started school, I received this message every year. Always the same: 'I need to speak with you about his constant change of appearances'," he mimicked the high pitched voice of Teddy's teacher. He looked at Teddy. "And do you have any idea what she will complain about?"

"The other kids think it's cool if I change my hair of the color of my eyes. I only do it in playtime, I swear! When we're in class, I keep my brown hair and my blue eyes. But she saw me doing that once in playtime and she said I wasn't allowed to do that," Teddy mumbled. "Are you mad at me?"

Harry looked surprised. "Why would I be mad at you? As long as you don't use your ability in class, then I don't see the problem. I did worse when I was in Hogwarts. I'm still surprised I wasn't kicked out of Hogwarts," he said dryly.

"Oh, I bet there are a lot of people who are surprised you weren't kicked out for some of the things you did," Draco smirked.

"You know, some of the things were your fault," Harry said humorously.

"How can it be my fault?" Draco asked offended.

"Does a baby dragon ring any bell?"

"Oh shut up."

Harry grinned when Draco huffed and then turned his attention back to Teddy. "Don't worry about it, Teddy. I will talk to her this Friday."

"Thank you," Teddy smiled shyly.

Harry ruffled his hair. "Don't thank me. You can read a book; dinner won't be ready for quite a while."

Teddy nodded and went to his room to search for a suited book.

"So, how did it go with Shacklebolt?" Draco asked when Teddy was gone.

Harry turned to face him. "It went rather well. Like I expected he wasn't happy with it, but he agreed to give me other cases to work on."

"Did you receive another case?" Draco asked curiously.

"Yeah. Nothing too exciting; there was just a wizard who had had a fight with his neighbor and tried to curse him so that his legs and arms were switched with the result that the poor man would have to walk on his arms for the rest of his life." Harry shook his head. "I brought that man to other Aurors so that they would deal with him and the cursed neighbour to Saint Mungos."

Draco chuckled. "I wonder which spell that man used."

"I don't know and even if I knew I'm not going to tell you," Harry smiled.

"What? You don't trust me?" Draco asked offended.

"Don't make me answer, please," Harry snorted.

"I'm going to get you for that!" Draco growled and jumped at Harry.

Harry yelled startled and jumped out of the way. "Get away from me, you lunatic!" he yelled, laughing and ran out of the living room.

"What's wrong, Harry? Scared?" Draco taunted and ran after him, up the stairs.

"Only from lunatics like you!" Harry yelled back and made a turn.

The pair ran through various corridors, Draco trying to catch Harry, but failing. Eventually they reached the stairs again and Harry ran down, back into the living room.

He thought he had shaken off Draco from his tail after those six turns he had made and for that reason stood still, trying to catch his breath. It had been a long time since he had amused himself like that.

Because Harry stood with his back to the door, he didn't see Draco sneaking back in, putting a finger to his lips when Scorpius opened his mouth. Scorpius grinned and nodded. With one jump, Draco landed on Harry's back and brought him to the floor. Harry laughed and tried to escape Draco's hold. He managed to twist himself on his back, but Draco's weight kept him down.

"That's not fair, sneaking up on me like that," Harry chuckled breathlessly, giving up the fight.

Draco smiled smugly. "I'm a former Slytherin, Harry, we don't fight fair." He sat on Harry's thighs, keeping him down.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Now that we established that you're still a child, can you get off me?"

Draco stuck his tongue out. "No, just for that remark, I'm going to sit here for a long time."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "You have to get up sometime."

Draco just chuckled.

Harry oomphed when Scorpius fell on his stomach.

"I want to fight too," he squealed and clapped his hands.

Draco and Harry grinned mischievously to each other and began to tickle the poor boy in the middle of them.

Scorpius shrieked and tried to bat away the offending hands. "No! No! Stop! 'S not fair!" he laughed uncontrollably.

They only stopped their onslaught when a house elf called them for dinner. While they sat back up and straightened their clothes to look presentable again, they never saw Teddy in the doorway, biting his lip and feeling very jealous. Why was his Prongslet so happy? He had never laughed so hard when he was alone with Teddy. What did Draco and that boy have that he didn't? Sure, Harry had tickled him like that too, but that had been five years ago. And he could never make Harry laugh so hard. Was that because he was the son of one of Harry's friends? Harry had told him long ago that he had been sort of a friend with his father and that that was the reason why he was named godfather. Seeing as Teddy was a reminder of his former friend was that making him sad? What did he have to do to make Harry like him just like he liked Scorpius?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, as a warning for this chapter: some naughty thoughts of Draco, but nothing explicit
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 10**

Dinner was nearly finished when Draco brought up the subject of the unidentified ingredient. They had sent Scorpius and Teddy to take a bath before, so they could stay up for a bit longer.

"Snape was here today. He has found three possible ingredients for the poison."

Harry leaned back in his chair. "Oh? That's quick. What are the possibilities?"

Draco explained everything Snape had said to him, while Harry listened attentively.

"Hm, so they are all very rare, expensive and illegal. That doesn't surprise me," Harry muttered and sighed.

"Are you going to pass this information on to Shacklebolt?" Draco asked.

"It's probably the best thing to do. The problem is, what if he asks how I know that? I mean, how many people know that Snape is still alive?" Harry asked curiously. He realized he hadn't asked that before. How many people were aware that the Potions master was still alive?

Draco shifted a bit on his chair. Harry raised his eyebrows when he saw that move.

"Not many. I think you, I and McGonagall are the only ones," he answered softly.

"But how does he sell his potions then?" Harry asked confused.

"Under a different appearance."

"Of course."

"Daddy! I'm done with my bath!" Scorpius padded into the dining room, clad in white pyjamas with blue stars on it.

"I'm finished too, Prongslet," Teddy said softly and walked to Harry. He was wearing light blue pyjamas with a wolf on his back.

"That's good, Teddy," Harry smiled and ruffled softly through the untidy, black hair his godson was now sporting. His eyes were a dark blue. Harry looked at the clock: half past nine. "It's nearly bedtime, Teddy."

"Will you read to me?" Teddy whispered in his ear, blushing. Even though he was nine, he liked to be read to. It always made him fall asleep faster.

"Of course. Go pick out a book. I'll be with you in a sec," Harry smiled.

Teddy nodded and ran to his room to search for a book.

Harry stretched and stood up. "After I'm done tucking Teddy in his bed, I'm going to take a bath too."

Draco nodded. "I'll go after you. Scorpius, it's time to go to sleep."

Scorpius padded towards Harry and held out his arms. "I want daddy and Harry to take me to bed," he demanded.

Draco rolled his eyes and Harry chuckled while he picked up Scorpius. "All right then."

Just like the night of the dinner, Harry and Draco walked to Scorpius' room with Scorpius snuggled against Harry. They both gave him a kiss on his forehead and bid him a good night.

"Nightie, nightie, daddy, papa," Scorpius muttered half asleep, before sighing contently and snuggling down in his sheets.

Harry and Draco froze when they heard the names. Daddy and _p_ _apa_? They looked at each other wide eyed before sneaking out the room and closing the door.

Harry was the first one to say something. "Why did he call us daddy and papa?" he asked, fairly calmly.

Draco shook his head. "I don't know. But you know he's fixed on imagining us married and you pregnant."

"He imagined me what?" Harry asked shocked. Pregnant? He? Why would he be the one who would be pregnant if they were together? Which they were not! ... It was a purely theoretical question.

Draco looked as if he was caught doing something wrong. "Oh, I didn't show you those pictures then," he smiled sheepishly.

"Which pictures?" Harry asked, getting slightly hysterical.

They were interrupted by Teddy. "Prongslet, are you going to read for me?" he asked shyly.

"Yes, of course," he smiled to Teddy before turning back. "I want to see those pictures, Malfoy," he hissed to Draco.

Draco gulped and nodded.

Harry smiled and walked to Teddy. He embraced him and led him into his bed. "All right, let me see what you picked out."

* * *

After he was done reading and tucking the sheets tighter around Teddy, so he wouldn't get cold, Harry made his way to the bathroom. He proceeded to take a warm bath while musing about the fact that Scorpius had called them 'daddy and papa'. And that Scorpius saw him as the one getting pregnant if he and Draco were together. Which they would never be.

Because he was too lazy to warm the water up again, he regretfully stepped out of it when it got too cold to stay in. Harry wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to his bedroom, rummaging through his closet to find pyjamas. Or sweatpants and a shirt. He wasn't picky.

* * *

Because the bathroom door stood open, Draco figured Harry was done with taking his bath and thus proceeded to walk with Scorpius' pictures to Harry's room.

"All right, Harry, these are the pictures …" Draco's mouth fell open and he dropped the pictures when he saw the state Harry was in. That is to say completely naked. Harry had just dropped his towel to the floor to pull on his pyjama pants and stood with his back to Draco, which allowed the blond man to admire Harry's arse.

_Now that is a perfect fuckable arse_ , Draco thought and then shook his head when he realized what he just had thought. He really needed to get laid soon. Though from what Draco could see Harry had a rather beautiful body. He wouldn't mind to fuck that body… _No, keep focused!_

Harry yelped and snatched the towel back to its original place around his waist. Only then did he turn around. "Merlin, Draco, haven't you heard of knocking before you enter a room?" he asked annoyed.

"How was I supposed to know you would be naked?" Draco asked and retrieved the pictures while hiding his blush.

"That doesn't matter! You still should have knocked before you came in!" Harry said irritated.

"Oh, come on, Harry, we're both guys; you don't have what I don't have," Draco smirked and looked him straight in his eyes.

Harry's cheeks coloured red. "Ever heard of privacy?"

Draco chuckled. "Of course."

Harry sighed and rubbed over his closed eyes. "Can you turn around now, while I put my clothes on?"

"Why? Are you shy?" Draco grinned.

"Turn around before I hex your balls off," Harry smiled sweetly while pointing his wand at Draco's private parts.

Draco pouted. "You're no fun." But seeing as he didn't want to lose his most precious bits, he turned around to wait for Harry to get changed.

He heard a rustle of clothes and then the voice of Harry, "Okay, you can turn around now."

Draco turned around again to see Harry sitting on his bed in black pyjamas. "All right, let me see those pictures."

Draco nodded and sat down next to the black haired man on the bed while handing over the pictures. Harry raised his eyebrows when he saw what Scorpius had drawn. He and Draco kissing; he and Draco hand in hand and Harry with a round stomach. Scorpius had written next to his round stomach _'my little brother'_.

Harry raised an eyebrow at Draco and placed the pictures on his lap. "Why does Scorpius think I would be the one who would get pregnant?"

"So, you're not insulted because he draws us as a couple, but you're insulted because you would be the one carrying his little brother?" Draco smirked and shook his head.

"Yes! I mean, who said I would be bottom?" Harry asked pouting.

Draco laughed and threw his head back. "Because Malfoys don't ever bottom. Never. I like to be on top, thank you very much."

"You sound like you have experience with it," Harry said suspiciously.

"Of course, didn't I tell you that I'm gay?"

"No, you didn't tell me! When were you planning to tell me that?" Then Harry got a pensive look on his face. "Though it would explain why you're always spending so much time in the bathroom. Why didn't I understand that before?"

Draco huffed. "For your information I want to look good and that requires a certain amount of time that I have to spend in the bathroom to require my good looks."

"So you're saying that you don't look good in the morning when you wake up," Harry said amused.

"What! I always look good at each time of the day!" Draco said insulted.

Harry snorted and brought his attention back to the pictures on his lap. "Why is he so fixed on drawing us together and I still don't see why I would be the pregnant one," he whined at the end.

"Who knows? Maybe he thinks we would make the perfect pair. You know he's right actually. We would make a good pair," Draco mused. Harry gaped at him. "And you have to admit you would look cuter pregnant than I would. You're more of the mother type."

"I'm not cute and I'm not a mother type!" Harry protested.

"But you agree with me on the fact that we would make a good pair," Draco smirked.

"I did not agree on that!"

"Yes, you did."

"No, I did not!" Harry got slightly redder in his face.

"You're so cute when you're all worked up," Draco teased him.

"Shut up!" Harry cried out embarrassed.

Draco laughed. "I'm surprised nobody has snatched you up yet. I mean with that sexy body of yours I would think women and men stand in lines for you."

"All right, it's time for the Malfoy to go to sleep," Harry said with a red face and pulled Draco up before pushing him out of the room. "And for the last time I'm not cute and I won't be the pregnant one!"

"But you would like to have sex with me?" Draco grinned.

"Where the hell did you get that from?" Harry asked shocked and immediately released the blond man in front of him.

"You don't have to be shy about it, Harry," Draco purred. "I know a few things that will leave you screaming my name."

"Are you drunk? Go sleep, you lunatic!" Harry said annoyed and pushed harder against Draco's back.

Draco grinned devilishly and turned around. Harry narrowed his eyes when he saw that devilish grin on Draco's face and opened his mouth to say something when Draco bent down and pressed his mouth against Harry's. One hard kiss left Harry with bruised lips and a dazed look in his eyes.

"Good night, Harry," Draco whispered against his lips smiling and left the man standing in the doorway while walking to his bedroom.

Draco Malfoy had made a decision. He would get Harry and make him all his. He changed into his pyjamas and stepped into his bed. He would have to thank his son for opening his eyes with those pictures. Hm, maybe he would treat Scorpius to a broom. He had deserved it after all for making Draco realize what an amazing man Harry was. Or would Scorpius like a little brother more? Draco smirked when he thought what he would have to do with Harry to make a little brother for Scorpius.

Of course, it would maybe be difficult to make Harry understand that he belonged with Draco, but thankfully he liked a good chase. And when the chase was over, his reward would be so sweet; Harry naked in his bed.

Yes, Draco Malfoy wouldn't rest before Harry Potter was his. Let it be understood that a Malfoy was very stubborn when he had a goal. A Malfoy always got what he wanted. No matter how long it would take to get it.

* * *

Harry stood there for a while completely dazed, before he shook his head, closed the door and slipped into his bed. What had just happened? Had he just been kissed by Draco Malfoy? And hadn't he pushed him away? What was wrong with him? It was probably because he hadn't had a lover in four years. Yes, that was probably it. He wasn't attracted to Draco; he just needed to date again. He wasn't gay and he didn't like Draco.

He repeated that last sentence until he fell asleep, but it sounded more as if he wanted to convince himself.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: a little drama, but nothing else that really needs a mention
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 11**

When Draco sat down at breakfast that following morning, he had a smirk on his face.

"Why are you so happy, papa?" Scorpius asked curiously and climbed next to him on the chair.

To Harry it looked more that Draco was planning something devilish and not that he was just happy. Then he heard the change in names. So if Draco was now papa, was he supposed to be daddy then?

Harry groaned and slammed his head on the table. Those Malfoys were confusing. And devilish. And cocky.

Harry was still busy mentally listing all the things that Malfoys were, when Draco answered his son, smirking at Harry. "Oh, I just saw something I want and now I'm making a plan to get it."

Harry raised his head warily and narrowed his eyes when he saw Draco looking at him. _Why was that bastard looking at him like that?_

Scorpius cocked his head. "What do you want, Papa?"

"That's a surprise. I will show it to you when I have it." Draco was having fun.

"Oh," Scorpius nodded, grinning.

"Harry, can you sign this? Miss Hearp wants it as a proof that you will be there tomorrow." Teddy gave Harry the flyer announcing the parents' evening.

"Sure." Harry summoned a quill and scribbled down his name.

Teddy thanked him and stuck the flyer in his bag.

* * *

When they were walking to school, Scorpius stood still and halted the two adults by putting his hands on their legs.

"It's kissy time," Scorpius announced happily and clapped his hands.

Harry went red when he was remembered of the kiss that Draco had given him last night. "Eh, you know, Scorpius, if we don't hurry up, you two are going to be late for school," he said quickly, trying to get out of the kiss. He didn't want to get confused again.

Teddy looked at his godfather suspiciously. _Why was he blushing?_

Draco smirked and turned Harry's head to him by grabbing his chin. "Oh, I'm sure we have enough time to give each other a kiss, Harry," he purred and pushed his lips against Harry's, biting softly on his lip.

Harry gasped when he felt the light sting and opened his mouth automatically in response. Draco took advantage of that and slipped his tongue inside. With a last lick at Harry's tongue, Draco retreated smirking.

"All right, we can continue our walk to the school," Draco said satisfied and took Scorpius by the hand.

Harry scowled at him when he realized what had just happened. He grabbed Teddy's hand who looked at him concerned.

"Prongslet, are you all right?" he asked worriedly. He had never seen his godfather so red after having to kiss Draco. Though they usually didn't do more than give a chaste kiss that lasted only for two seconds.

"Oh, I'm all right, Teddy. I'm just figuring out how I will castrate Draco and get away with it," Harry growled.

Draco chuckled amused when he heard that.

Teddy frowned. "What does 'castrate' mean?"

"That I take away his ability to create babies," Harry said maliciously.

"That doesn't sound like fun," Teddy dared to say.

"No, it isn't and if he does that, than I can't have fun with him," Draco pouted.

"You would be able to still do that, you pervert," Harry snorted. "Not that you will be able to do that with me."

"Ah, but I told you yesterday I don't bottom, Harry. You will," Draco smirked.

"Who says I will ever bottom for you?"

"Papa, what does 'bottom' mean?" Scorpius asked innocently.

Before Harry could give a more diplomatic answer, Draco replied, "The one that bottoms is the one who gets a baby."

"But why don't you want to bottom, daddy? You will look pretty with a belly," Scorpius smiled innocently. "Papa doesn't look pretty with a belly."

"I would resent that if it didn't mean that I would bottom – which I won't," Draco pointed out amused.

But Harry wasn't paying attention to Draco, but to what Scorpius had called him. He had called him 'daddy'.

"Daddy, is there something wrong?" Scorpius asked worriedly when his 'daddy' didn't reply.

"There is nothing wrong, Scorpius, but we have to hurry if you two want to get on time in school," Harry answered distracted.

Scorpius nodded and they set a brisk pace.

Teddy was seeing red. This was getting too much. How dare that boy call his godfather 'daddy'? He didn't have the right to do that! Why was he allowed to say that, when Teddy had been forbidden to say it years ago? If anyone had the right, it was Teddy. Harry was his godfather, he had cared for him from the moment his parents died. He had soothed him when he had a nightmare, he had let him cry and hold him when he was old enough to understand that his parents would never come back. He had defended him against Ginny when she was complaining that he was too clingy. Harry had been there for his whole life and he wasn't allowed to call him 'daddy', though he was the only parent figure Teddy knew. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that that blond brat was allowed to call Harry daddy and get away with it. His whole body started to tremble. It wasn't fair.

They stopped in front of the school and Scorpius had kissed both Draco and Harry on the cheek before skipping off to play with his friends.

Teddy, however, kept standing still in front of Harry with his head bowed. Harry frowned and looked questionably at Draco who shrugged. Why wouldn't Teddy go to his friends? He never kept standing here.

Harry kneeled down and tried to catch Teddy's gaze. "Teddy, what's wrong? Why don't you go to your friends?"

"Why can't I call you daddy?" Teddy suddenly asked in a small voice.

"Eh…" Harry was surprised at that question. After Andromeda had said to Teddy that Harry wasn't really his dad, Teddy had stopped calling him 'dad'. He had never spoken about that after Andromeda's comment. What had brought this … Oh, because Scorpius had called him 'daddy'.

Teddy raised his head and Harry startled when he saw the tears in his dark brown eyes. "Why can Scorpius call you daddy and I can't? Do you like him more than me? Did I do something wrong? Why do you like Scorpius more than me? Is it because I remind you of my dad?" The tears started to fall and the boy's body trembled heavy with the sobs.

"Oh Teddy," Harry muttered and hugged the boy to his chest. "I don't like Scorpius more than you and you didn't do anything wrong. If you want to call me daddy, then you can. I won't be angry at you."

"So I can call you my daddy?" Teddy's broken voice asked in a small tone and he clung to Harry with his hands on his jacket.

"Of course you can," Harry replied and soothingly stroked over Teddy's back. "Hush now. Everything is all right." He began to rock the boy.

The sobs stopped, but Harry still felt tears sliding down his neck from where Teddy had buried his face. He realized he hadn't spent much time with Teddy the last few weeks. Somehow his work, Draco and Scorpius had demanded much of his attention. He resolved to fix that.

"Okay, you know what? What do you say of you spending the whole day with me alone? We can do what you want," Harry suggested and stroked Teddy's hair away from his eyes.

"But I have school." Teddy bit on his lip.

Harry shrugged. "Missing a few days from school hasn't hurt anyone. I'll write a note to your teacher saying you're ill and that you come back next Monday."

"My, my, Harry, corrupting a kid. You should be ashamed," Draco smiled dryly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up. Give me some parchment and a quill so that I can write that note."

Without arguing, Draco conjured some parchment and a black quill and handed them over to Harry. Harry released Teddy for a moment to write the note, balancing the paper on his leg and then searched for the flyer of the parents evening to give them both to the teacher.

A pale hand entered his vision and grabbed the note and the flyer. Harry looked up surprised.

"I'll give them to the teacher. You'd best leave with Teddy now before the teachers notice him," Draco explained.

Harry looked at him gratefully and stood up, laying his arm around Teddy's shoulder. "Thanks."

"No problem. Have fun today." Draco winked and walked into the school searching for Miss Hearp.

"Come on, we can go to that park you always love to go to," Harry smiled and together they walked to the park with a big lake (though not as big as that of Hogwarts) that was situated at the edge of the town.

* * *

Not for the first time did Harry thank the fact that he was a wizard. He had sent an owl to Shacklebolt with the message saying he wouldn't be able to be at work until Monday, because his godson was ill and that he needed him. They played hide and seek, tag, and after that Harry had conjured a ball and taught Teddy how to play football.

When lunch time came, Harry bought some sandwiches and they picnicked under a large tree that hid them from sight. Before they sat down, Harry had conjured a large bubble that would keep them warm.

"You weren't lying when you said I could call you daddy, were you?" Teddy asked suddenly softly.

Harry looked at him and smiled. "Of course not. Why would I lie about that?"

Teddy shrugged and picked at a loose thread of his pants. "I don't know. I just thought you didn't like it that I called you daddy, because you didn't say anything when grandmother told me I shouldn't call you dad."

"So you still remember that, huh," Harry murmured. "The reason why I didn't object then was because I didn't want to make your grandmother sad. She was still depressed about losing her daughter and her son – in – law and I think that she thought their memory would be real if you only called your real father dad, instead of me."

"But dad is dead. I never really knew him or mum. I really thought you were my real dad when I was little," Teddy said, slightly ashamed about admitting that.

"I know. You would often copy my hair and eyes. I thought it was cute," Harry smiled. "For all intents and purposes I am your dad. If you want to call me that, then I have no problems with that. You're practically my son anyway."

Teddy glowed with happiness when he heard that. Then he thought of something. "Do you think my real father would be angry at me if I call you dad?" This was a question that had been bothering him for years.

Harry looked pensively at the sky. "No, I don't think so. Your father was a great man and I was happy to have known him. I am sure that he just wants you to be happy. And if you're happy with calling me dad, then he won't be angry about it."

Teddy nodded relieved. Then he asked another question. "Did you have a godfather?"

Harry smiled sadly. "Yeah, I did."

"Did you grow up with him?"

Harry shook his head. "No, sadly no. I met him for the first time when I was thirteen. He had been falsely accused of a crime and he had been in jail for the first twelve years of my life. He escaped when I was thirteen. He came to find me and promised me he would take me to his house as soon as he could. We kept in touch through letters and sometimes I could meet him."

"Where is he now?"

"He died when I was fifteen. He came to rescue me when I was in trouble and someone killed him."

"I'm sorry, dad," Teddy whispered. He couldn't imagine how his dad must feel. He didn't think he would cope if he lost his godfather.

"Don't be. He died heroically, just like he wanted. He's in a better place now with his best friends. He was best friends with my dad, my mom and your dad. Your mum was a cousin of him," Harry smiled.

"Really?" Teddy smiled.

Harry nodded. "What do you think of playing some football again?"

Teddy cheered and stood up. Playing football with his dad sounded like the most fun thing to do now.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: a little bit of violence
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 12**

Draco smiled when his son came bouncing towards him with a grin on his face. When he reached Draco, he looked around confused. "Where are daddy and Teddy, papa?" he asked and grabbed Draco's hand.

"Teddy needed some time alone with Harry and he will be back at school on Monday," Draco replied.

"So he's not in school tomorrow?" Scorpius asked curiously.

"No, he won't."

"Oh." Scorpius nodded. He supposed it was fair, because Harry had spent a lot of time with him.

For a minute there was silence.

"Papa, are you mad that I call Harry daddy?" Scorpius asked in a small voice.

Draco chuckled amused. "That's a little late to ask that, don't you think? But to answer your question, no, I'm not mad. In fact, you have to call him daddy."

Scorpius started to get excited. "Are you going to marry with daddy, papa?"

"Yes, but first I have to make your daddy accept that he likes me too," Draco smirked.

"But daddy likes you," Scorpius said confused.

"Yes, but after I'm done, he will like me more," Draco chuckled. He couldn't wait.

* * *

They were home for about an hour when Harry and Teddy showed up. Both had red faces from the October wind and they were relieved when they entered the warm house.

"Go change into some other clothes. I'm going to order warm chocolate," Harry smiled and hung his jacket in the closet.

Teddy nodded and grinned before running off to his room.

"I hear warm chocolate. Do you mind if Scorpius and I drink with you?" Draco asked and leaned against the doorpost.

"They are your house elves. If you want to order warm chocolate, I'm sure they get it for you. You don't need my permission for it." Harry rolled his eyes and walked into the living room where he was assaulted by a blur of something small and blond.

"I missed you, daddy," Scorpius grinned.

Harry chuckled and brought the boy up and settled him on his hip. "I missed you too, Scorpius." He nestled himself in a sofa while Scorpius sat next to him. Teddy entered the room too; he was dressed in a black sweater and jogging pants. He snuggled in Harry's other side.

Draco came in and sat in a chair in front of the sofa where Harry sat in. "The house elves will bring the warm chocolate milk and the cookies in here."

Harry nodded and absently stroked both boys' hair.

"Mother type," Draco mouthed to him with a smirk.

"Fuck you," Harry mouthed back.

'What are you waiting for?' Draco winked and Harry rolled his eyes.

"So, Teddy, did you have fun today?" Draco asked smiling.

Teddy nodded and launched in a tale about what they had done today – though he left out the conversation he had had with Harry.

Eventually the two boys were too busy drinking warm chocolate milk and munching on chocolate cookies to say anything.

"Say, Harry, have you already passed on Severus' information about those possibilities to Shacklebolt?" Draco asked casually.

Harry stared at him blankly for a moment before smacking his forehead. "I knew I had forgotten something! I'm going to send that information now," he said annoyed. "I'll be right back."

When Harry was gone, Teddy asked a question. "Draco, do you think dad will go to work tomorrow?"

Draco, not even surprised that Teddy had called Harry 'dad', shook his head. "No, he said he will come back Monday. He's not going to break his promise to you."

Teddy smiled reassured.

Harry appeared back in the room after a quarter of an hour and settled himself back on the sofa. "That's done."

Draco chuckled at Harry's satisfied tone.

* * *

The following day, while Draco took Scorpius to school, Harry took Teddy shopping and let him choose whatever he wanted to have. He didn't care about the money it would cost. With the vaults of the Potters, the Blacks and the Lupins (though, the last ones were for Teddy only when he was older), Harry was one of the richest men of the world. Not even a day of shopping would make a dent in his fortune.

When they were done shopping, Harry took Teddy to see a movie. It was nearly five o'clock when they decided to go home. The parents' evening started at seven o'clock and Harry had decided to leave Teddy at home with Draco; after all, Teddy was supposed to be 'sick'.

They were nearly at the manor when an explosion threw them off of the path. Teddy screamed in fear and Harry cursed while shielding Teddy with his body. They landed in a heap near a tree. Harry sprung up and whipped out his wand, looking everywhere to try to find the culprit. A red blast shot past Teddy and left a burn mark on the tree. Teddy trembled heavily and whimpered.

"Hey coward! Don't you think it's time to show your face or are you that much of a wimp that you don't dare to face me?" Harry shouted frustrated while standing in front of Teddy.

A shaggy looking man with a long, brown, filthy beard and long, brown hair that had leaves in it, appeared from behind a tree. He was of average height and his robes were torn up and muddy. A crazy look haunted his blue eyes.

"I finally got ya, Potter," the man spat and stumbled to him.

For a moment Harry thought it was the man who had sent a letter to him and who had poisoned all those people, but he dismissed that thought when he saw the long, red scar on the man's hand. It was Peter Lorflaye, a criminal who had been on the run for months. He was searched for murdering his girlfriend and setting her house on fire. He was also a Death Eater wannabe.

"Lorflaye, you don't want to hex me," Harry said calmly. He was trying to find a way to distract Lorflaye so that he could send Teddy to the manor. The problem was that Lorflaye was blocking their path. He had to reverse their positions somehow…

The man laughed a high pitched, awful laugh; a clear sign that he had gone mad. "Of course I'm not going to hex ya; I'm going to kill ya! And when I'm done with ya, I'll be the strongest wizard of the world!" He slashed his wand through the air and Harry had just enough time to throw up a shield that would protect him and Teddy from a Slashing curse. The curse was strong enough to cut off an arm or a leg – and that was if you were lucky and the curse didn't hit your neck.

Harry whispered a spell beneath his breath and trees and rocks stood up from their places and began to attack the man, giving Harry enough time to speak hastily to Teddy.

"Teddy, listen to me very carefully."

Teddy nodded, his eyes big with fear.

"In a few minutes the trees and the rocks will stop attacking. I'll distract the man and when I say 'go', you have to run as fast as you can to the manor and warn Draco, okay? And you stay there, understood? I don't want you to come back. Just tell Draco what is happening and where I am now and then stay at the manor with Scorpius. Can you do that for me?" Harry asked whispering.

Teddy gulped, but nodded briefly.

Harry smiled briefly. "That's my boy."

"Will you be okay, daddy?" Teddy whispered scared and he stood up shakily.

"Of course I'll be okay; I promise."

Like Harry had predicted, the trees and the rocks fell down after a minute, leaving the path free for the man to attack.

"I'm gonna kill ya, Potter!" Lorflaye growled.

Harry didn't reply, but simply shot a hex at a rock nearby the man, causing the rock to explode. Lorflaye cursed and jumped aside – just like Harry had planned. Harry continued to let rocks and trees explode and Lorflaye continued to jump out of the way cursing. Eventually the path to the manor was clear and while Harry blocked Lorflaye's sight and fired curses at him to distract him, he yelled, "Go!"

When Teddy heard his godfather give him the sign to run, he started to run as fast as he could, despite the fear that was bubbling up inside of him. All the way to the manor he prayed that Harry would be okay and that he wouldn't get hurt. He didn't want to lose his dad.

Out of breath, he started to knock frantically on the door when he reached the manor.

Draco opened the door. "Calm down, the door has to be there for many years," he joked, but his smile disappeared when he saw the state Teddy was in.

"Teddy, what's wrong? Where is Harry?" Draco asked worriedly.

"Dad is fighting with another man. He said I had to warn you," Teddy panted and tears filled his eyes. "He needs help! He's down at the path."

"All right, Teddy, stay here. I'm going to help Harry, okay? Watch Scorpius," Draco ordered and grabbed his wand.

Teddy walked on shaky legs the living room in and collapsed on the floor, hugging his knees, hearing the door shut.

Scorpius looked up surprised from his book with pictures of dragons when he saw Teddy sitting on the floor. "Teddy, what's wrong? Where are daddy and papa?" he asked and looked around as if he expected that they would enter the room immediately.

The shock wore off and Teddy's body trembled with his sobs.

"Teddy!" Scorpius cried out confused and dropped his book, scrambling off the couch and padded quickly to Teddy. He slid next to the older boy and put his arms around Teddy, rubbing his back like his papa did to him when he was sad.

"Why are you sad?" Scorpius asked confused. "Is it because you miss daddy and papa? They come back, I promise. Papa always comes back and daddy will too."

Teddy laughed shakily and buried his head deeper in his knees.

Scorpius bit on his lip while he tried to think of something to distract Teddy. When he missed his papa, he always looked in his book with dragons. There was a picture of a white dragon with grey eyes and Scorpius had nicknamed that dragon 'papa', because he thought that his papa would look like that if he turned into a dragon. Maybe that was an idea. Maybe he could distract Teddy if he read his dragon book out loud. Papa had told him he was good in telling stories.

"I know what we have to do! I'm going to tell you a story of the dragons!" Scorpius said enthusiastically and clapped his hands. He jumped up quickly and walked to the couch to pick up the book. He brought the book back with him to Teddy and sat down next to him again, opening the book. When he found the picture of the dragon that he wanted (well, they were two dragons; the white dragon with grey eyes and a black dragon with green eyes) he began to fantasize a story about how they met and how they were friends who had many adventures.

Teddy's sobs stopped after a while and he began to listen to the story. Scorpius smiled when he noticed Teddy listening, but didn't stop. He knew it had been a good idea to use the dragon's book; it worked every time when he missed his papa.

* * *

Draco ran off the path and used rather colorful words when he saw Harry engrossed in a fight with a crazy looking man.

_He isn't even at work now and still he gets attacked_ , Draco thought irritated. He pointed his wand at the man and shot a Slash hex at him; it was the weaker version of the Slash curse. It would severe the muscles and even break the bone, but it wouldn't cut off the limb. The Slash hex hit the man in his knee and with a yell, he fell to the ground.

Harry looked up and sighed relieved when he saw Draco running to him. Thank Merlin he was there; he didn't think he could have managed much longer on his own.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked and panted when he halted next to Harry, keeping an eye on the fallen man who was cursing, before passing out. Draco could see that he had many cuts and bruises on his body. "I came as soon as Teddy told me what happened."

"I'm all right," Harry smiled, but suddenly gasped and sank to the ground with his hand to his side. Lorflaye hadn't been as unconscious as they had thought and he was now grinning like the maniac he was and cheering for himself.

"Stupefy!" Draco snarled and Lorflaye fell down to the ground, stiff as a board. Quickly, Draco conjured some robes and bound the man with it to avoid his escape and took his wand away. Then he directed his attention to Harry who was panting and had a pained face.

"Let me see," Draco ordered softly and gasped when he saw the deep cut in Harry's side. The blood was steadily flowing out the wound and Draco cursed. Lorflaye had hit him with the Slash hex. Draco ripped a piece of his shirt and pressed it against the wound, wincing when Harry hissed.

"All right, Harry, I'm going to Apparate you to the hospital, together with that arsehole and then I'm going to pick up Teddy and Scorpius, okay?" Draco said quickly and carefully picked up Harry. Harry gripped his shoulder and nodded, biting on his lip. He shuddered when the wound started to burn and he pressed his head in Draco's shoulder.

With a hard face, Draco gripped Lorflaye by his arm and Apparated to Saint Mungos, silently hoping that Lorflaye would get splinched; it would serve the bastard right.

"I need some help here!" Draco yelled when he arrived in the entrance hall of Saint Mungos.

A nurse looked up and her eyes widened when she saw that it was Harry Potter who needed help. She immediately called some doctors and brought a bed to Draco to place Harry on it.

"What happened?" the nurse asked.

"He was attacked by a criminal. He was hit by a Slash hex," Draco explained hastily and without thinking dropped Lorflaye. "It's best if you call some Aurors too."

The nurse nodded. Meanwhile two doctors had appeared and took the bed with Harry in it to the elevator.

"Listen, miss, I need to pick up Harry's godson and my son, but can you tell me later where they have brought Harry?" Draco asked quickly.

"Of course, sir. Go pick up the kids," the nurse smiled, before she called two Aurors.

Draco concentrated on the image of his home and Apparated. He appeared on the path to his house and quickened his pace to the manor. He opened the door and found the boys sitting against the wall in the living room. He heard Scorpius telling a story about dragons and briefly smiled before entering the room.

Scorpius stopped talking and smiled when he saw his papa. "See, Teddy? I promised you papa will come back."

Teddy scrambled up, fear and worry written all over his face. "Is everything okay with dad? Where is he? Is he hurt?"

Draco sighed. "I had to bring Harry to Saint Mungos, because he was hit with the Slash hex. The hex hit him in his side, so he lost blood. But I promise you he will be fine."

"I want to see dad," Teddy said in a final tone, not taking no for an answer.

Draco smiled. "Of course, I came back to pick you and Scorpius up."

Scorpius looked confused. "Is daddy hurt?" he asked in a small voice, fear creeping up in his body.

"Yes, but he's going to be okay, I promise," Draco said and beckoned the boys to him. "Now, we'll go outside and I'll Apparate you both to Saint Mungos. Just hold onto me tightly."

They walked outside and Draco picked up Scorpius and settled him on his hip while he embraced Teddy. "Hold on," he warned them and concentrated on the image of the entrance hall of Saint Mungos.

When they arrived there (thankfully in one piece), Draco put Scorpius down. The nurse from his earlier visit noticed him and came to him.

"The doctors have managed to close Mister Potter's wound and he's now resting in room 569. He has to rest for an hour before he can leave the hospital and even then he has to take it easy," the nurse warned him.

Draco nodded and thanked her. "Come on, boys, we're going to see Harry."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: angry Harry and something that finally sets the slash part of the story in motion
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 13**

Harry smiled when two boys jumped on his bed and snuggled close to him.

"Are you really okay, dad?" Teddy asked in a small voice.

"Of course I'm okay. The wound wasn't so deep, so the doctors didn't have problems closing it," Harry smiled and stroked over Teddy's black hair.

"Where did it hurt, daddy?" Scorpius asked worriedly.

Harry pointed at his right side where Scorpius was snuggled against. Scorpius got alarmed and sat up.

"I'm sorry, daddy, I didn't know it was here."

Harry laughed, but had to stop before his side protested. He pulled Scorpius back down. "Don't be silly, it doesn't hurt anymore. You can hug me all you want."

Scorpius sighed relieved and cuddled back with Harry.

Harry looked up when he felt a weight settle next to his legs. "Thanks for helping me, Draco," he smiled.

Draco waved his hand in the air. "Don't thank me. I would do it every day," he said with a rather intense look in his eyes.

Harry looked away, not used to having such an intense look directed at him. "Yeah, but still. What happened to Lorflaye?"

"The Aurors took him," Draco informed him with a smirk.

"Well, that's a good thing," Harry muttered. "Now, help me get my clothes, so we can go back home. I don't want to be late at the parents' evening."

"Harry, you can't go to the parents' evening." Draco frowned and laid his hand on Harry's leg. The warmth on his leg caused Harry to blush slightly. "You should stay home to rest. A Slash hex isn't something to be taken lightly."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, honestly. I can go to the parents' evening. Now get my clothes."

"And I say it's best if you rest this evening at home." Draco crossed his arms and glared.

"Yes, I will rest at home." Draco smirked, glad that Harry agreed with him. "After I have visited the parents evening." Now it was Harry's turn to smirk when Draco scowled.

"And what if you collapse?" Draco asked with a little sneer.

Harry sighed and pinched his nose. "I'm not going to collapse. I just need to speak with Miss Hearp about Teddy and then we can go back to Malfoy Manor."

Draco studied him. "You're only going to talk with Teddy's teacher?"

Harry nodded.

"Fine, you can go, but I'm going to accompany you, in case you do collapse," Draco replied in a final tone.

"And who's going to keep an eye on Teddy and Scorpius?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"They come with us."

"Teddy is supposed to be sick, remember."

Draco shrugged. "Then we say we took him with us, because we didn't want him to be alone. I'm sure Teddy can act as if he was sick."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Fine, just give me my clothes."

Draco found them lying on a chair and gave them to Harry. The boys climbed off the bed and a veil appeared in front of the bed, hiding Harry from sight.

Five minutes later, Harry appeared again, dressed in his jeans and black sweater. "All right, I'm good to go."

Draco nodded and after filling in the needed paperwork, he Apparated Harry and the boys back to the manor. Harry had protested and said he could Apparate just fine, but Draco had made it clear that he didn't want to risk opening the wound if Harry tried to Apparate.

They grabbed their jackets and made their way to the school. They breathed out relieved when they entered the warm classroom and took their jackets off. Draco grabbed both Teddy and Scorpius by their hands and followed Harry, who went in search for Miss Hearp, while nodding politely to other parents who recognized him. When he finally found the teacher, he was slightly breathless and hid the urge to place his hand on his side. If Draco saw that, Harry would be immediately sent home.

"Miss Hearp?" Harry asked and gave the woman his hand to shake.

Miss Hearp was a woman of average height with brown hair that reached her shoulders and calm brown eyes with freckles on her nose.

She smiled and shook his hand. "Good evening, Mister Potter, I'm glad to meet you."

Harry smiled. "I'm glad to meet you too. You wrote on the flyer that you needed to speak with me?" he asked, getting straight to the point. He didn't want to admit it, but he desperately wanted to lie down and have a pain relieving potion. The wound on his side was healed, but he was still tired from the blood loss and the scar stung.

"Yes, follow me, please, so that we can talk in private." Miss Hearp turned around and led the group out of the classroom into another classroom across from the room they came from.

She raised her eyebrows when she saw Draco, Scorpius and Teddy.

"They are with me," Harry explained and took a seat.

"Good evening, Teddy, Scorpius." Miss Hearp nodded. "You can go there and read a book or play with those toys, while I speak with your godfather."

Teddy nodded and coughed to show her he was still a little ill, before grabbing Scorpius by his hand and dragging him to the play corner.

Draco hid his smirk when he heard Teddy's cough. That boy knew how to play his act well.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" Harry asked politely, though he was irritated that he would have to have this conversation again. Having the same conversation every year was rather tiring and annoying.

"It's about Teddy's ability to change his appearances," Miss Hearp started.

"Yes?" Harry resisted the urge to move his leg up and down.

"We're happy that he has such an amazing ability, but he has to stop using it so frequently, because he distracts the other pupils," Miss Hearp explained, confident that Harry would understand the problem.

"The only times he uses it is during playtime to amuse his classmates. He told me that when he's in class, he doesn't use his ability. So I don't see the problem. The children can't be distracted during class, because he's not changing his appearances," Harry explained annoyed.

Draco laid discreetly a hand on his back to calm him down.

"Did Teddy tell you that he doesn't change his appearances in class? I caught him doing that twice in the past month. I'm sorry, Mister Potter, but when Teddy tells you that he doesn't use his ability in class, then he's lying, I'm afraid," Miss Hearp smiled.

Harry pinched his nose. "Have you ever considered the fact that when he changes his appearances in class, that it's an accident and not on purpose?"

"It seems to me that he has perfect control about his ability, so generally this means that he's doing that on purpose, yes," Miss Hearp replied, losing her smile.

Teddy, who was listening as well, bit his lip. It wasn't his fault that his ability to change his appearances sometimes acted on his own when he was angry or sad. He couldn't control it perfectly; when his emotions run high, he would start changing his appearances without him noticing it.

"Children at his age don't have perfect control over their magic, that's why they go to Hogwarts, Durmstrang or Beauxbatons when they're eleven so that they can learn how to control his magic. If Teddy changes his appearances in class, then that's an accident and it's probably because his emotions are running high," Harry answered annoyed. "One child will blow something up when he's upset, Teddy changes his appearances without realizing it."

"Can't you teach him to have more control then? It really affects my teaching." Miss Hearp began to sound annoyed too.

"If it affects your teaching that much, then you're not fit to be a teacher in a Wizarding elementary school," Harry sneered. "When you teach Wizarding children, you have to get used to their magic being out of control once in a while. If you can't handle that, then I suggest you go teach Muggle children. But I can assure you they're not that calm either. Now if there are real problems then please tell me now, because I'm ready to go home now."

"Have you ever considered the fact that Teddy maybe doesn't belong in this school? You never informed us that he's a child of a werewolf. What if he's as dangerous as his father? I don't want the other children to get hurt," Miss Hearp snapped.

Harry shot up, causing his chair to topple over. His green eyes were burning with a raging fire and his magic crackled dangerously. "It doesn't matter if he's the child of a werewolf or not. Teddy isn't dangerous. He never inherited the werewolf gene, because you can't inherit that. You only become a werewolf when you're bitten and not because you were born from a werewolf. Where did they teach you these things? And for your information, I knew Teddy's father, he was the kindest and bravest person I have ever met. You and all those other bloody prejudicial people won't ever be able to even reach his ankles," Harry hissed. "If I had known I would send Teddy to a school filled with prejudicial people, I would never have sent him here. Consider him removed from this school."

"What? You can't do that!" Miss Hearp stood up too, getting angry even though she was afraid.

"Watch me," Harry said coldly and he turned around. "Teddy, we're going. Do you want to say goodbye to your teacher or your friends?"

Teddy, who had heard everything, shook his head. He supposed he should be sad that his dad removed him from the school, but the truth was he couldn't be more relieved. Sure, he had friends, but he didn't like the way the teachers looked at him. As if he was dirt. "Can I still visit my friends, Dad?"

"Of course." Harry smiled.

Miss Hearp gaped when she heard Teddy calling Harry dad. "Teddy, Mister Potter isn't your dad. Your real father is dead."

Draco stared at the woman in front of him. _That was a teacher?_ She had as much tact as Snape. And even he knew when he had to soften his words. To say to a nine year old child that his father was dead, just like that … That was just cold.

"For all intents and purposes, I'm his dad. It's not your concern what he calls me," Harry said, his voice now ice cold, sending shivers up everyone's spines. "Come on, Teddy. We're going."

Teddy nodded and grabbed Harry's hand.

Before Draco followed Harry out of the room, he turned around to face the pale teacher and said with a smirk, "Now that I have seen how you treat children here who don't meet your standards, I think I remove Scorpius too. And don't expect more donations in the future. Have a good night, Miss Hearp."

Miss Hearp could do nothing more than stand completely dumbfounded. She gulped when she remembered the last sentence Draco had uttered. He would stop his donations to the school. She was sure she would get fired.

* * *

"You know, you didn't have to remove Scorpius too," Harry commented when they began their walk back to the house. Teddy was holding his left hand and Scorpius was skipping right between Harry and Draco.

Draco shrugged. "If that's the way those teachers treat children they don't like, then I don't want my son to get taught from them. Next week I will arrange a private tutor for Teddy and Scorpius."

"Thanks," Harry smiled.

* * *

After he had tucked the boys in their beds, Harry slipped with a sigh in his bed, wincing when the scar on his side throbbed.

A knock on the door made him sit up again. "Come in."

Draco entered the room, holding a blue bottle in his hands. He closed the door and sat on Harry's bed. "Thought you might need some pain relieving potion," he explained when he saw Harry's confused face.

Harry nodded gratefully and drank the potion, grimacing at the vile flavor. Draco gave him a glass of water to get rid of the awful taste.

When Draco remained seated, Harry asked curiously, "Was there something else?"

"Yes, actually," Draco smirked and grabbed Harry's hand. "Go on a date with me."

Harry stared at him. "Are you drunk? Or is this a scheme of your son?" he asked suspiciously.

Draco laughed. "No, I'm asking you out on a date willingly."

"Who said I'm even interested in you that way?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"That's why I ask you out on a date. If you still aren't interested in me that way after our date, I'll back down." _But I will try again after a few months of course_ , Draco thought gleefully.

"Since when are you interested in me that way?" Harry asked curiously and hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Since I noticed how beautiful you are. And you have a great body," Draco added as an afterthought.

Harry smacked his arm.

"So, are you going on a date with me?" Draco asked again.

"Yeah, okay, I'll go on a date with you." Harry blushed.

"Fantastic! We go this Sunday! Good night, Harry," Draco smiled and kissed Harry chastely on his lips. With a last wink, he left the room.

Harry touched his lips and smiled. Maybe going on a date with Draco Malfoy wouldn't be that bad.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No date in this chapter, just a small bonding moment between Teddy and Harry that was needed ^^ The date will happen in the next chapter :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 14**

When Harry woke up the next morning, he laid there for a moment, just staring at the ceiling, while coming to terms with the fact that, yes, he had agreed to go on a date with Draco. He didn't know if he should be excited or apprehensive. He thought he was straight; _going on a date with another man wasn't the definition of being straight._ He admitted that Draco was attractive; _hell, you had to be blind to not see that._ But everyone would admit that; _it didn't necessarily mean everyone was gay._

So was he bisexual then or gay? Why was he thinking about that anyway? He didn't have to think of it as a real date. He could see it as friends hanging out with each other. But why hadn't he pushed Draco away when he kissed him last night? Did that mean he was subconsciously indeed attracted to Draco? Was he indeed gay?

Harry groaned. Thinking about that gave him a headache. He would just see what happened tomorrow. Yes, he wouldn't think about his maybe being gay and attracted to Draco crisis.

He looked up when his door opened and he noticed Teddy standing in the doorway.

"Good morning, Teddy. Is there something you needed?" Harry asked and sat up to lean against his headboard.

Teddy shrugged. "I just wanted to see if you were okay," he muttered softly, his eyes studying the floor.

Harry smiled and patted the place next to him on the bed. "Come here, I don't bite."

Teddy smiled and closed the door before climbing in the bed and snuggling into Harry's side.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked and his head rested on his godfather's shoulder.

"No, the pain's gone," Harry replied and stroked through Teddy's hair that was now a bright red. His eyes were a jade green this time.

"Teddy, you honestly don't mind getting home schooled, do you?" Harry asked to be certain.

Teddy shook his head. "No, I don't mind. Besides, you said I could have friends over."

Harry chuckled. "Yes, I did."

Suddenly Harry remembered how Teddy reacted when he was around Scorpius. He hadn't breached the subject until now, because he hadn't found a good time for it. But now they were living together and the boys would be getting home schooled, so it was probably for the best if Harry talked with Teddy about Scorpius. He was curious as to why Teddy didn't like the younger boy.

"Teddy, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to answer truthfully, understood? No lying or changing the subject," Harry began, careful to keep his voice soft and low as to not make Teddy feel he had done something bad.

Teddy tensed at hearing those words and bit on his lip. Was he in trouble now? Did he do something wrong? "Okay, I promise, dad," he answered timidly. He supposed it was a good thing his dad was still cuddling him, because this meant he wasn't really angry with him.

"Why don't you like Scorpius?" Harry asked curiously.

Teddy began to squirm at hearing that question. He didn't want to answer that; Harry would think he was being childish and he would favour Scorpius more, because he didn't act that way.

"Teddy," Harry said in a warning voice.

"Because he takes you away from me," Teddy mumbled inaudibly.

"What? I couldn't hear it very well." Harry frowned.

"Because he takes you away from me," Teddy whispered, his face burning and his eyes stinging with hot tears. He didn't want to act like a baby; he really didn't. It was just … For his whole life, he had lived alone with Harry. He had had Harry's constant attention. But since they met Scorpius, his dad wasn't paying much attention to him; he paid more attention to Scorpius than to Teddy and that stung him.

This time Harry had heard Teddy perfectly and he sighed. "Teddy, Scorpius isn't taking me away from you."

"Yes, he does. When he's around, you always pay more attention to him," Teddy replied stubbornly and with a strained voice. He really didn't want to make his dad angry, but he was just telling the truth. "Sometimes I think you like him more than me."

With one swift movement, Harry had pulled Teddy on his lap and gripped Teddy's shoulders firmly, but softly. "Teddy, look in my eyes," he said sternly.

Teddy averted his eyes.

"Teddy, look in my eyes," Harry repeated, his voice now stronger and sterner.

Teddy bit on his lower lip, but obeyed.

"Teddy, listen to me good; I don't like Scorpius more than you. I'm sorry if it seemed I paid more attention to Scorpius than to you, but I guarantee you that it wasn't my intention to do that. I love you and I'll always love you. Sure, I like Scorpius too now, but I can like more people at the same time. It doesn't mean you'll lose me. I won't ever leave you, Teddy," Harry answered, looking right into Teddy's green eyes. "The thing is, now that we live here too, Scorpius will hang out with us more. I understand your feelings, but can you promise me you will at least try to give him a chance? He only wants to be friends with you. I promise you I won't leave you and I don't favour Scorpius over you. Do you believe me?"

Teddy nodded meekly.

"Good; do you promise me you'll give Scorpius a chance?"

Teddy hesitated, but nodded after a moment.

"That's my boy. Now don't ever think I don't like you or I like someone more than you. I'll always like you the most. You're my son, remember?" Harry said softly.

Teddy nodded weakly and began to cry. Harry hugged Teddy closer to him when Teddy curled up in his chest. He kept whispering soothing words in Teddy's ear and rubbed Teddy's back. Eventually Teddy calmed down and he just laid there, listening to the calm heartbeat of his dad.

They were interrupted by Draco. "Harry, for tomorrow you need some free time clothes and some decent clothes for the evening. Do you think you can manage that?" he asked and leaned against the doorpost, smirking.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "I think I can manage that, yes. Where are we going?"

"That's a surprise," Draco grinned.

Teddy looked confused. "What are you going to do tomorrow?" he asked curiously.

"I'm taking your dad out on a date. Uncle Sev will come to watch over you and Scorpius." Draco winked and then left before Harry could throw something at him.

_The nerve of him!_ Harry went a deep red when Teddy looked at him surprised.

"Dad, is that true? Are you going on a date with Draco? But I thought you liked girls?" Teddy asked confused. Why would his dad go on a date with Draco, who was a guy? Harry had always liked girls, though he hadn't been with a girl since he broke up with Ginny.

Harry scratched the back of his head, not really sure how he had to explain this to his godson. _I wonder if that jerk did that on purpose_ , he thought darkly. It wouldn't surprise him. Those Malfoys had always been sneaky.

"Well, you see, Teddy, Draco asked me on a date with him, because he likes me," Harry started to explain slowly. "I agreed to it, because I started to like him too."

"But will you get together then?" Teddy asked, not really sure how he felt about that. If his dad got together with Draco, then that meant Scorpius would hang out more with them. He had promised his dad he would try to be friends with the younger boy, but that didn't mean he would have to like him immediately! Besides, if his dad and Draco were together then that meant he and Scorpius were sort of brothers. Teddy grimaced at that; he didn't know if he should be happy that he got a sibling. He had never felt the urge to have a sister or a brother. Obviously he couldn't ask his parents for a sibling, considering they were dead and Harry had never started having children with Ginny (which had been a relieve to Teddy; he had never liked the red haired woman). He was happy enough with his friends.

Harry sighed, dragging Teddy's attention back to him. "I don't know, sweetie. That's why I'm going on a date with Draco; to figure out what I'm feeling for him." He eyed Teddy carefully. "Would you hate it if I got together with Draco?"

Teddy knew that his answer would determine what Harry would do next. If he said yes, then his dad would give up on Draco and just stay friends with him even if he liked him enough to want to be together with him. Harry had told him Teddy would always be the most important person in his life. If he said no, then his dad would get a chance to be happy again. Teddy understood that his dad couldn't stay alone for the rest of his life. It wouldn't be fair to him. Harry needed someone else besides Teddy in his life. And if Teddy was honest, he supposed he would have to admit that Draco would be able to make his dad happy. And Draco wasn't that bad; he had even helped Teddy to spend more time with his dad. Teddy only wanted Harry to be happy, so his decision wasn't that difficult to make.

"No, I wouldn't hate it if you are together with Draco. I only want to see you happy, dad," Teddy replied softly, his hands fisting Harry's pyjama top.

Harry smiled. "Thank you, Teddy. I'm relieved to hear that. But don't worry; you're still my most important person in the world," he whispered and hugged Teddy.

Teddy smiled relieved and hugged his dad back.

* * *

Half an hour later they were sitting at the kitchen table, having breakfast. The house elves had brought pancakes for the boys and they were drowning the poor pancakes in chocolate syrup, while Draco was itching to wipe Scorpius' face clean.

"Oh yes, Harry, I found a private tutor for the boys," Draco announced suddenly.

Harry looked up from his toast with eggs. "Oh? Who is it?"

Draco smiled nervously and Harry narrowed his eyes when he saw that. "It's Severus."

Harry blinked. And blinked again. "Oh," was all that came out of his mouth.

"It's just that Sev knows a lot of different subjects, so it was easier if I asked him instead of hiring a bunch of tutors. Besides, Severus is the best," Draco defended his choice.

"Hey, hey, I'm not mad, I was just … surprised. But you're right; Snape is the best choice," Harry muttered.

Draco sighed relieved.

"Uncle Sev is going to teach me and Teddy?" Scorpius asked excitedly. He had always liked Uncle Sev. Sure, he looked stern, but he could be nice too. And he made those cool potion thingies. His uncle had promised him that he could help him make those potion thingies when he was older.

His papa nodded. "Yes, he'll start this Monday. But you have to study well, understood?" he said sternly.

The two boys nodded.

"Daddy, do you still have a hurt?" Scorpius asked concerned when he remembered that his daddy had been in the hospital.

"No, Scorpius, I'm fine," Harry smiled.

Scorpius sighed relieved.

* * *

They spent the rest of the day playing with the boys and telling stories about their time in Hogwarts. This resulted in an argument between Draco and Harry about who was more at fault in school.

When they had put the boys in bed, Draco walked Harry back to his room.

"How did Teddy react when he heard I'm taking you on a date tomorrow?" Draco inquired, leaning against the doorpost.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Harry accused him.

Draco smiled cheekily. "I wouldn't dare."

Harry narrowed his eyes, but replied, "He doesn't have a problem with it. Did you tell Scorpius?"

"If I had told him, don't you think he would be jumping around now, being all excited?" Draco raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "I will tell him tomorrow, before we leave. Severus can try to calm him down then."

Harry chuckled. "Poor Snape."

"He can handle it," Draco smirked and shrugged.

For a moment, it was silent.

"Well, good night, Draco," Harry said softly.

"Hm, good night, Harry," Draco whispered and tenderly pressed his lips against Harry's, giving them a quick sweep with his tongue, before breaking apart. "Sweet dreams, Harry." He winked and left to go to his own room.

Harry shook his head, but smiled and closed his door, before slipping into his bed. Yes, maybe going on a date with Draco Malfoy wouldn't be that bad. Some butterflies fluttered in his stomach.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Nothing special, only the date happening in this chapter ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 15**

The next day Harry was very nervous, which he didn't understand. It was just a date. With Draco Malfoy. A guy. He hadn't had a date in four years. And had he already mentioned he had a date with Draco? Who was a man?

He was wearing a faded pair of jeans and a black sweater. He looked in the mirror and wondered if he looked good enough for Draco. A few seconds later he grimaced. _He was acting like a god damn girl._ It was going to be all right; nothing to worry about. Just a date and maybe by tonight he would have figured out what he exactly felt for Draco.

Harry absently touched his lips, remembering the kiss Draco had given him last night. It had been nice and it had left a little spark in his lips. Harry wondered how it would feel to really kiss Draco. Maybe he would find out tonight; a blush crept up from his neck to his cheeks.

When Harry went downstairs, Snape had already arrived, looking sourly.

"So I assume Draco told you we're gone for a few hours?" Harry said lightly.

"Oh yes, he told me. That blasted brat was even smiling," Snape growled.

"I'm sure the boys will behave," Harry tried to assure the older man.

"Draco told his son that you two were going on a date and he started to jump around and cheer like a bloody idiotic Gryffindor," Snape sneered. "I doubt he will behave."

Harry chuckled nervously and decided it was time to go meet Draco to start their date. "Eh, I'm going to check where Draco is," he said hesitatingly and made his way to the door.

"Potter."

Harry froze. How Snape still could make him feel like an eleven year old boy who had done something wrong and had been caught, he would never know.

"Give Draco a chance; he has wanted your company since he first heard about you. I'm certain he can make you happy and you him, how unbelievably that sounds," Snape continued stiffly.

"Okay," Harry replied softly, smiling a bit. He knew that this meant that Snape supported him and Draco, even though he hadn't said it literally.

He found Draco in the living room, trying to calm down a jumping, grinning Scorpius while Teddy was sitting on the couch, reading a book.

"Almost ready?" Harry couldn't resist his teasing.

Draco scowled at him. "You try controlling a child that looks like a stupid Gryffindor who has eaten too much sugar."

"What is it with Slytherins and insulting Gryffindors when they have problems? Really, you all need a new object to insult," Harry insisted.

"If I insult Hufflepuffs in the future, will you then help me with trying to calm this devil down?" Draco asked tiredly.

"I'm not a devil! You said I'm an angel!" Scorpius protested and pouted.

"Yes, you're an angel, Scorpius," Harry smiled and came up to the little boy and knelt down in front of him. "Now, the thing is, I really want to have fun with your papa, but we can't do that if you can't calm down. Do you think you can be a good boy and calm down so your papa and I can go out?" he asked innocently.

Immediately, Scorpius' eyes widened and he nodded fervently. "I'll be a good boy. You and papa can have fun. I'll be good," he promised and hugged his daddy.

Harry smiled and secretly stuck out his tongue at Draco, who glared back. "I know you'll be a good boy. I'll see you and Teddy later, okay?" He kissed Scorpius' forehead and did the same by Teddy.

"Bye, bye, daddy, papa." Scorpius waved.

"Bye, dad, Draco," Teddy said softly.

"All right, how come you can get him to shut up and calm down while I, his own father, can't?" Draco almost whined while they made their way to the gate.

"Maybe he likes me better." Harry couldn't help but tease.

"Remind me again why I'm taking you out?"

"Hey, you're the one who asked me out because I have a great body," Harry snorted.

"True, true. Can't wait to see how you look completely naked. That one time just wasn't enough for me." Draco leered.

"If you keep that up, you won't ever get the chance to see me naked again," Harry smiled sweetly.

"I promise I will behave," Draco said quickly, not liking the implied threat.

"Good boy." Harry nodded satisfied. "Where are we going?"

"It's a secret." Draco winked. "You'll see it when we Apparate there."

"And how am I supposed to Apparate when I don't know where we're going, genius?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"You have to hold on to me, of course," Draco said almost cheerily.

"You've done that on purpose," Harry deadpanned.

"Now why do you think that?" Draco asked innocently.

"Because you're a sneaky Slytherin. The whole 'I'm innocent' card won't work with you," Harry retorted.

"It was worth the try," Draco sighed and then offered his arm. "Hold on to me; I'm going to Apparate us to the place."

Harry rolled his eyes, but grabbed Draco's arm, trying to ignore how nice that hard muscled arm felt against his. He closed his eyes and ignored the feeling as if he was being squeezed into something very small. He really hated Apparating.

When he opened his eyes again, his mouth fell open when he noticed his surroundings. They were in a wide open field. Trees were surrounding the open space; the grass looked freshly mowed and there was something placed in the middle of the field. When Harry got closer, he realized there were two brooms (two Firebolts to be precise) and a box containing a fluttering Snitch.

Draco came to stand next to him, looking slightly nervous. "I thought you would like to have some games. I figured that you wouldn't have had much time to play Quidditch with working all the time so I thought this would be a good idea to spend our date."

Harry smiled. "I would really like to play some games. It's been too long since I had the chance to beat you."

"Hey! There is no way you would be able to beat me!" Draco immediately retorted smirking.

"Let's find out, shall we?" Harry grinned and grabbed the Firebolt, excitement bubbling up in his chest. He couldn't wait to fly again, to be able to feel the wind against him.

Draco grinned back and grabbed the other broom. He muttered a spell and the box shot open, releasing the Snitch.

Both men looked at each other, challenge in their eyes, before setting off, flying high up in the air, searching for the Snitch while enjoying each other's company and the adrenaline rush in their veins.

Harry had almost forgotten how good it felt to sit on a broom and to fly again. How long had it been since he had this much fun with a Quidditch match? Probably from his school years, he realized. After he had finished school, he had gone straight to Auror practice and had barely touched a broom after that. The only times he had flown was when Teddy asked him and that could barely be classified as a real Quidditch match where he had to watch his rival and search for the Snitch.

* * *

They played for hours, forgetting about time and in Harry's case his work and the villain. Even though it was a date, they both were very determined to win the games and wouldn't give up. Eventually they got too tired and they landed back down to the ground, panting. Harry had won the last game, which brought the score to twenty four games won by Draco and twenty five games won by Harry.

"Ha, I told you I would beat you," Harry said breathlessly, grinning.

"Oh, shut up; you just got lucky," Draco panted and got up again. "Come on, let's change into our other clothes; it's time for the last part of our date."

Harry blushed a bit. "All right." With a quick spell, they both changed into decent clothes. Draco was wearing a white button up shirt with black slacks. Harry had chosen for a green button up shirt with black slacks as well. The green shirt brought out his emerald green eyes out and they sparkled more behind the glasses.

Draco refused to tell him where they were going now, so Harry was once again forced to grab Draco's arm to Apparate (not that he minded that).

This time they arrived at a fancy restaurant which was mostly known for his French food.

"How did you manage to get a reservation so quickly?" Harry asked softly when they were led by a waitress to their table. "I heard you have to make a reservation three months prior."

"Most people have to do that, yes. But the Malfoys have always a private table in most restaurants," Draco replied softly.

Harry snorted and shook his head. "Why am I not surprised to hear that?"

Draco chuckled.

They ordered roasted duck with lemon juice and baked potatoes. A red wine of which Harry didn't catch the name was served with it.

At first they just enjoyed their food, until Draco had gathered all the courage he possessed and asked the question that had been on his tongue for practically the whole day. "So, what did you think of the date?" he asked softly.

Harry was glad he had yet to take a sip from his wine, because he would have spit it out when he heard Draco's question. "What? You're not going to be subtle about it, like all Slytherins normally do when they want answers?" Harry asked with a small smirk. To be honest he was trying to buy more time to think about his answer.

"I figured it would be smarter to just be blunt about it, considering you were a Gryffindor," Draco smirked, though inwardly he was nervous. This whole thing was kind of new to him. He never had had someone he desperately wanted and who he enjoyed chasing after. He especially had never chased after a Gryffindor. His marriage to Daphne Greengrass had been practical; he had wanted a child to continue the Malfoy line and Daphne had been content to give him that, because she benefited from it too – at their marriage day she had received a large sum of money, which was custom to do when a Malfoy married someone. It showed they could provide for their partner. Sure, Draco could have used a potion to get another man or himself pregnant, but he hadn't for two reasons; one, he always topped – no excuses and two, he didn't trust another man with his child. There was always a chance that the man took off with his child or tried to blackmail him with it. So when Daphne suggested they would get married and she would give him a child, he had accepted the offer. Five years later they divorced and Daphne got together with Blaise and Draco was left alone – not that he had minded that; he had his son after all.

And now here was Harry – the one person he had thought he would never fall for. Yet, he felt butterflies whenever he looked at Harry and just wanted to kiss him all over. Harry was everything he wanted from a guy; he was sweet, kind, brave, good looking, smart, fierce and he was good with the boys. Draco could honestly see himself together with Harry. Of course it all came down on Harry to decide where they would stand now.

"So, what do you think of this date? Think you could give me a chance?" Draco asked softly.

Harry bit his lower lip, feeling unsure. "I … like you, Draco; that I know for sure," he started softly. Draco looked at him, not daring to hope. "It's just that I'm kind of confused right now, because I thought I was straight and now I suddenly like you. But I think I would like to try it. I enjoyed this date and I think I will enjoy being with you," he admitted embarrassed.

"So, does this mean you're willing to give me a chance?" Draco smiled and placed his hand over Harry's on the table.

"Yes, I want to see where this will go," Harry smiled shyly.

"I'm happy to hear that." Draco smiled back. "What do you think of going home?"

"Home, that sounds nice," Harry mused.

Draco softly chuckled and called the waitress that had brought them to their table to ask for the bill. The brown haired waitress smiled and blushed lightly when she noticed how handsome the two men were. She couldn't wait to tell her friend about them.

A few minutes later, Draco and Harry arrived back home and they walked leisurely to the front door. When they arrived at the front door, Draco stopped Harry with a hand on his chest.

Harry looked at him confused.

"Considering this was a date, I think we should close it properly, don't you think?" Draco whispered before slightly bending his head to kiss Harry on his lips. This time the kiss lasted longer and Harry clasped his arms around Draco's neck pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. Two pale hands fell on Harry's hips to pull him even closer until they were pressed up against each other with no room left between them. Their breaths escaped in the form of white clouds in the cold late October wind. Their mouths separated and met each other again. They continued kissing for a long time, forgetting their surroundings.

* * *

A blond boy watched them from a window and clapped excitedly in his hands. He knew he would get the family he wanted. Another young boy with dark blond hair watched the excited child and just shook his head with a small smile.

_It will be nice to have a real family_ , he thought.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: a bit of Teddy and Scorpius bonding ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 16**

"Do you think daddy will like papa like papa likes daddy?" Scorpius asked Teddy, who had trouble at first with understanding the question.

He wanted to snap at the boy to leave him alone, so he could read his book. Then he remembered the promise he had made to his dad, took a deep breath and replied, "I don't know Scorpius, but dad told me he liked your dad, so there is a chance."

Scorpius clapped his hands, obviously excited to hear that. "That would be so great! I want to see papa happy again."

_You're not the only one_ , Teddy thought.

Snape appeared in the doorway. "Because your dear father decided to give me the honor of looking after you two, I expect that there won't be too many problems. I don't care what you two are going to do, as long as you stay in the house and nothing gets damaged. I will be working on some papers. Try to be calm and do not disturb me unless it's urgent. Understood?" Snape said sternly.

"Yes, Uncle Sev," two voices chorused.

"Good." Snape nodded brusquely and walked away.

Not wanting to disturb his new 'brother' (because that's what he was going to be, Scorpius was sure of that), Scorpius left the living room. He went up to his bedroom deciding to play with his toys until his daddy and papa came back.

* * *

Two hours later, Snape sent Teddy to get Scorpius so that they could have their snack. When Teddy arrived at Scorpius' bedroom, he noticed that the door was slightly open. He wanted to tell the young boy to come downstairs for their snack when he heard the boy mumbling. Feeling curious he hid behind the door and listened.

"And when daddy likes papa too, then they're going to get married and they get a baby," Scorpius babbled and Teddy saw he was talking to a teddy bear.

"Daddy will look pretty with a belly, don't you think, Minnie? We're going to be a family; me, daddy, papa, Teddy and the baby. It's going to be great! I hope daddy gets a baby quickly. Do you think that if I ask for a little brother or little sister for my birthday that daddy will get a baby? Mommy says the baby has to stay for nine months in the belly – that's a long time, I think. I don't know how the baby gets in the belly."

Teddy could see Scorpius frowning and then he shook his head.

"Doesn't matter; I think I can wait nine months. That's the last thing on my list, so I have to wait, 'cause I can't cross that out until the baby is here." Scorpius brought the bear to his face until his lips were at the bear's ear. "I hid the list under my pillow, but it's a secret. You can't tell papa that you know about the list, okay, Minnie? Oh, I have to go to the bathroom. Wait here, Minnie." Scorpius placed the bear on his little chair and toddled over to the other door in his room.

As soon as Teddy heard the door close, he ran into the room, straight to Scorpius' bed, searching for the 'list'.

_What had Scorpius been talking about? What was this list? And what had the list to do with his dad? For that matter, why was that boy talking as if Teddy's dad could get pregnant? Only girls could get pregnant, right?_

He raised the pillow and found a piece of folded paper. He threw the pillow away where it hit the bed with a soft 'thump' and opened the paper. He could do nothing but stare at it when he read what was on the list.

_My second daddy has to be_

_Nice_

_Sweet_

_He has to cook good_

_Pretty_

_He has to play with me_

_Funny_

_He has to give me a brother or sister_

The first six things were crossed out. Teddy blinked and gaped. _Why had Scorpius written this kind of list?_

A gasp startled him and he dropped the paper. Scorpius ran to the bed and picked up the paper and clutched it to his chest. His wide grey eyes stared nervously at Teddy.

"Teddy, it's not nice to read papers that aren't yours," Scorpius tried to scold him, but his trembling voice ruined the intended effect.

"Why did you write such a list in the first place? And what has my dad to do with your list?" Teddy asked angrily.

Scorpius looked nervously at his closed door. He didn't want his uncle to find out about the list. "I – I just want to have a real family," he muttered softly, his eyes staring at the floor.

Whatever Teddy had expected to hear, this wasn't it. He stared dumbfounded at the younger boy in front of him.

"What?"

"Mummy left papa when I was four; she said it was 'cause papa only loves men," Scorpius started to explain softly. "So, I wanted to help papa find a man he loves and I made up a list with the things my other daddy needs to have. Daddy has all these things and that's why papa likes him. Now they have to marry and get a baby and then my list can go away, 'cause I have a family then."

"So, saying they had to kiss and all that stuff was because you wanted my dad to like your dad?" Teddy asked confused.

Scorpius nodded ashamed and bit on his lower lip. "Are you mad at me?"

Teddy sighed and looked away. Was he mad at Scorpius? He should be, but he wasn't. After all, he knew how it felt to want a real family. He was happy with Harry alone and wouldn't wish for something else, but there were times when he thought about how his life could have been if his parents hadn't died. If he still had a mum and a dad, like all the other kids in his former class. As a matter of fact, when he had first entered the school, he had been teased with the fact that he didn't have two parents like the rest had. But when the children saw that _the_ Harry Potter came to pick him up at the end of the school day and that Harry was his family, the teasing had stopped, because they hadn't expected him to have such a famous parent. Teddy learned early in life that not all people wanted to be friends with him because of him, but because that way they could get closer to Harry. Should he be mad at a boy who wanted to have the same thing as him? Just like Teddy, Scorpius just wanted to have a family and he had chosen Harry for that. And if Teddy had to go by the looks that his dad and Draco shared when they thought the boys weren't looking, he was fairly certain that they both would get what they wanted.

Teddy sighed again. "No, I'm not mad at you; it's nice that you wanted to make your dad happy, though I think you went overboard sometimes with what you did."

Scorpius looked confused and relieved at the same time. "What did I do wrong?"

"I think you annoyed your dad with all the pictures you made," Teddy smiled weakly.

"I just wanted to show papa that we could be a family." Scorpius blushed.

Teddy shook his head, but smiled. "Well, we will know tonight if you succeeded."

Scorpius bit on his lower lip and nodded.

Both boys jumped three feet in the air when Snape shouted, "GET DOWNSTAIRS NOW BEFORE I COME UPSTAIRS!"

They looked at each other and laughed nervously before dashing downstairs to eat their snacks.

* * *

After they had eaten their snacks, Scorpius went back to his room, intent on building Hogwarts again.

Teddy bit on his lip, hesitated for a moment, but decided that considering they were now a family, he should give Scorpius an honest chance. Who knew, maybe he would like him as a little brother.

Scorpius looked up surprised when he saw Teddy standing in front of him and his building blocks.

"Do you mind if I help you build Hogwarts?" Teddy asked softly.

Scorpius beamed; Teddy finally wanted to play with him! He wasn't stupid, he had known that Teddy hadn't liked him. He had ignored all the glares and the snide remarks and comments of the boy, because he had focused on his daddy instead. But it had still hurt him whenever Teddy had shown he didn't like him. "You can start with building the towers, Teddy," Scorpius chirped.

Teddy smiled and settled down next to the little blond boy.

After they had built Hogwarts, they started on building a small town. They were so busy and so engrossed in their building work, that they never saw Severus standing in the doorway, looking at them with a raised eyebrow and a bemused look on his face.

_Well, at least they don't cause trouble_ , he thought dryly and turned around and closed the door softly. Although he would still keep an eye on Teddy; the boy was after all a Lupin, a son of a Marauder, and the godson of the son of one of the Marauders. Not a very good combination and Severus winced when he thought about the fact that one day, Teddy Lupin would go to Hogwarts too and probably cause trouble there.

_Like father, like son_ , he thought darkly when he settled back behind his paper work. _Thank Merlin I won't be the one who has to deal with him._

He paused in his work when he remembered that he had promised Draco he would be teaching Scorpius and Teddy, starting next Monday. He glared at the white wall across of him, as if the wall was to blame for his predicament.

_Those boys better behave or I'll show Draco and Potter that they still have reason to fear me,_ he though grimly.

* * *

It was nearly seven p.m. when Scorpius started to get restless. He and Teddy had finished building Hogwarts and a part of Hogsmeade a few hours ago and Severus had made sure they had eaten dinner an hour ago.

It had taken all of Severus' patience to not lash out when Scorpius had managed to spill all his soup over himself. He had merely gritted his teeth and sent a house elf to clean him up in the bathroom.

Scorpius had meekly apologized (Uncle Sev was scary when he was angry) and his uncle had merely nodded to him to eat further. Scorpius was sure that this meant that his uncle had forgiven him.

After dinner had ended, their uncle had gone back to his work and Scorpius had followed Teddy to one of their playrooms that coincidentally looked out at the gate, which meant he would see his daddy and his papa when they arrived home. He hoped that his papa had convinced his daddy to like him too.

Scorpius went to one of the large windows and climbed on the windowsill. He had wanted to play a bit more with Teddy, but Teddy had wanted to read one of his books. Scorpius figured that he shouldn't make Teddy angry now that he had made progress with the boy and had left him alone in one of the big, fluffy chairs in front of the fireplace. The house elves had lit the fire so that it spread a nice, soft glow through the room and it was comfortably warm.

It was getting dark outside; the sun was setting and it spread a soft orange glow over the grass field in front of the manor.

Scorpius began to fidget and shifted back and forth on the windowsill; he was getting impatient. _What were his papa and his daddy doing?_

He pressed his little hands against the cold glass and squinted to look at the gate. His grey eyes lit up when he saw two familiar figures appearing at the gate.

He grew excited when he saw his papa holding hands with daddy. Did this mean that they were a family now?

"Teddy, look! Papa and Daddy are back! They're holding hands!" Scorpius said excitedly. His whole body was trembling with excitement.

Teddy looked up from his book when Scorpius called him and he stood up and walked to the window. From their position at the window they could watch Draco and Harry when they stopped on the porch.

Teddy saw Draco stopping his dad with a hand on his chest. His dad looked up confused. Draco said something and bent down a bit to … kiss his dad. Teddy blinked when he saw his dad putting his arms around Draco's neck and he kissed him back.

_Well, that answers my question; dad does like Draco_ , Teddy thought and a small smile appeared on his face.

He shook his head smiling when Scorpius clapped excitedly next to him.

_It will be nice to have a real family_ , he thought.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: nothing special. Just the first school day for the boys and Halloween
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 17**

Eventually Draco decided that they needed air (why they needed something as trivial as air, Draco didn't know) and pulled back a bit. His breath came out in pants and he smiled satisfied when he met the dazed look Harry gave him.

Harry blinked and tried to get his brain to function again. That had been the most amazing kiss of his life. Why the hell he hadn't done this sooner, he didn't know.

"Well, I suspect we, eh, should go inside." Draco himself looked flushed. "You know, freeing Severus of his babysitting nightmare."

Harry chuckled breathlessly. "Yeah, let's do that."

Draco smiled back and discreetly put his hand on Harry's back before guiding him inside.

A scowling Severus met them in the hallway. "You're here, finally! What took you so long?" he sneered. "I'm going home. I'll see you again tomorrow at eight a.m." With that, he immediately disappeared, leaving the two bemused men behind.

Two pair of feet running off the stairs alerted them to the fact that their boys were coming.

Scorpius immediately flung himself in Draco's arms, while Teddy walked up to Harry to embrace him.

"Did you miss us?" Draco asked amused.

Scorpius nodded fiercely. "Yes, but we were good today, papa. Teddy and I built Hogsmeade and a town."

"Is that so?" Harry asked smiling and ruffled over Teddy's blond hair. He was proud that Teddy had decided to try and befriend Scorpius. "I'm happy you did that, Teddy. I'm proud of you," he whispered in the boy's ear.

Teddy blushed and smiled shyly. If he got praise for it, then perhaps he wouldn't mind playing more with Scorpius. It certainly made his dad happy.

Draco glanced at the clock. "It's almost bedtime for you two. You didn't forget thatUncle Sev will be back tomorrow for your lessons?"

The boys shook their head, smiling.

"But, papa, did you have fun with daddy?" Scorpius asked, his grey eyes shining.

Draco shared a quick glance with Harry that made the dark haired wizard blush. "Oh yes, we had fun, Scorpius."

"So are you together now?" Teddy asked curiously.

Both men blushed. This time it was Harry who answered.

"Draco and I decided to give it a try," he smiled.

Scorpius clapped his hands. "That means you're really family now, doesn't it, daddy?" he asked excitedly.

"I suppose," Harry said surprised.

"Well, it's time for you two to get some sleep," Draco announced and settled Scorpius on his hip. Teddy grabbed Harry's hand, but didn't object.

Scorpius whined, "But papa, I want to hear what you did today with daddy."

"No, Scorpius. It's time to go to sleep," Draco said sternly.

Scorpius pouted.

"Tell you what? If you go to sleep now, we tell you tomorrow what we did today," Harry suggested.

Scorpius beamed and somehow managed to give Harry a kiss on his cheek while hanging around Draco's neck.

"Okay, daddy. We go to sleep now," Scorpius chirped.

Together they all went upstairs; Draco brought Scorpius to his room and Harry walked with Teddy to his room.

When Harry had tucked Teddy in and wanted to leave, he was halted by Teddy's question.

"Dad, can men get pregnant?"

Harry turned around to see Teddy sitting up in his bed, a curious and strangely troubled look on his face. He walked back and sat on Teddy's bed.

He stroked a few times over Teddy's blond hair and replied, "No, we can't. We don't have the necessary … organs to be able to carry babies. Why do you ask that?"

Teddy bit on his lip, contemplating if he should tell his dad what Scorpius had told him or not. "I … Scorpius said there were potions that could get men pregnant," he answered quietly. It wasn't exactly the truth; Scorpius had only said Harry would get pregnant, but he had never mentioned any potion. Teddy just figured if men would be able to get pregnant, they would probably get the help of potions or spells.

Harry cocked his head to the side. "Well, I don't know if there are such potions, but it seems unlikely. I mean, the potion would have to actually make new organs," he winced at the thought alone, "to be able to fit the baby in the man's body and I don't think a potion is capable of that much."

"Oh," Teddy only said, blinking. So there was no way his dad would get pregnant. Teddy felt guilty to admit that that thought relieved him. It was enough he had to share his dad with Scorpius and Draco, he didn't want to share him with a baby too. It was probably selfish of him, but was it really that weird he didn't want to share his dad? Relieved, he laid back down, snuggling under his covers.

Harry shook his head and smiled bemused. "I don't know where Scorpius came up with that, but that boy sure does have an imagination. He should be an author later," he joked and gave Teddy a soft kiss on his forehead. "Good night, Teddy."

"Good night, dad," Teddy smiled and closed his eyes.

Harry chuckled and closed the door softly behind him.

"What's so funny?" Draco's voice sounded amused.

He turned around and saw Draco just leaving his son's bedroom.

"Oh, nothing special. Just something Teddy told me," Harry replied smiling.

Draco raised an eyebrow and then shook his head. He walked back with Harry to his room and stopped right in front of the door.

"So, do you believe in sex on the first date?" Draco asked, smiling flirtingly.

Harry gave him a quick peck on his lips. "Not a chance," he smiled sweetly.

Draco pouted. "Hm, after how many dates do you consider it good enough to jump in bed with your partner?"

This time it was Harry's turn to raise an eyebrow. "My, my, Draco, be careful, or I'm going to think you're only interested in sex."

"Oh no, not at all, but I can't help it if your body drives me crazy." The blond wizard smirked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "How charming," he commented dryly. "If you want to have sex with me, then you're going to have to make an effort to convince me that you're worth it."

Draco mused about this and then slowly nodded. "I think I can succeed in that. Now what do you think of a last kiss for tonight?"

"Well, I suppose a kiss won't hurt," Harry smiled and pressed his lips again against Draco's, clasping his hands around his waist in the meantime.

Draco decided to take a little bit advantage of Harry's relaxed state and coaxed his mouth open, letting his tongue slid inside to curl around the tongue he found there.

Both men shivered when their tongues met and again they pressed closer to each other. They continued kissing for a while and things started to heat up. Only when Harry felt Draco's hands sliding to his arse, did he decide that it was time to stop before things got out of hand. He gave Draco a last soft kiss before he completely broke away, separating their mouths and he took a step back while pulling Draco's hands away from his arse.

"Good night, Draco, I'll see you tomorrow," he smiled and disappeared in his room, leaving a flushed Draco behind in the hallway.

Draco shook his head and walked to his room; he would never admit it, but he was glad when he reached his bed; since their last kiss, he had been trembling on his legs. Draco shook his head surprised; never before had someone managed to make his legs tremble by simply kissing him. He smiled when he slid into his bed; he had always known that Harry Potter had been something amazing; when they were students he had been amazingly annoying and now he was amazingly perfect.

Yes, he had made a good choice when he chose for Harry.

* * *

The next morning, Severus arrived at exactly eight a.m. like he said he would. He was a very punctual man after all.

Harry got to see him quickly before he had to leave for his job and for a moment he stood awkwardly in the kitchen, not knowing if he should say a good morning to Severus or if the man would curse him – after all, he was dating his godson now. Harry didn't think Severus would have ever imagined him – a Potter – as dating material for his godson.

"Well, what are you standing there like an utter moron, Potter? Don't you have a job to go to?" Severus snapped and placed his suitcase with Merlin knew what on one of the kitchen chairs. Scorpius and Teddy were collecting their books from their rooms before they would go to the study room for their first lesson.

Harry almost smiled at the snappish tone he had come to know so well. It relieved him in a weird way; the fact that Severus was still treating him the same as he always did, was proof that nothing had changed just because Harry was now dating Draco.

"I just wanted to say good morning to you, sir;" Harry smiled and grabbed his jacket.

"Your brain did that long to say two words? My, I didn't know the Aurors were so desperate for new people, they would hire people with a slow mind like you," Severus sneered.

Harry chuckled. "It's good to have you back, sir."

"Brat, I never left," Severus said strangely calm. He nodded towards the front door. "Now hurry up; you won't be setting a good example for those two monsters you dare to call children if you show up too late for work."

"All right, sir, have a fun morning," Harry grinned.

"Trying to teach brats doesn't equal a fun morning, Potter," Severus replied drily.

"Be nice, Sev," Draco chided chuckling when he entered the kitchen. He halted Harry in his way to the hallway and gave him a quick kiss on his mouth. "See you tonight, Harry," he smiled.

Against his wishes, Harry blushed lightly and awkwardly cleared his throat. "Yeah, eh, see you tonight." With that he nearly fled from the manor.

Draco chuckled and grabbed a cup of coffee.

"What are you planning, Dragon?" Severus asked with a sigh when he saw the smirk Draco was trying to hide by drinking his coffee.

"Oh nothing special." Draco shrugged. "Just that Harry said I will have to make an effort if I want to fuck him."

Severus stared at him. "What, you're going to tell me you didn't succeed already? My, Potter has risen in my estimation of him," he sneered.

"Now, that's just mean, Sev." Draco pouted.

"Save your pouting for Potter," the older man snapped. "Send those blasted brats to the study room when they finally decide they're ready for their lesson."

"Be nice to them; it won't do to frighten them on the first day, Severus," Draco chided, though he was half serious.

"If they use their brain, they have nothing to fear from me," Severus said calmly and left the kitchen to make his way to the study room on the second floor of the manor.

Draco shook his head smiling; it didn't matter how old Severus got, his character would always stay the same. Some moments Draco wasn't sure if that was a positive thing.

* * *

Teddy knew one thing for certain after his first lesson with Severus: that man didn't joke around. As soon as he and Scorpius were in the room, they were directed to desks (each one placed at a different side of the room, to keep them from disturbing each other) and the lesson started. Because Teddy and Scorpius weren't of the same age, they couldn't have the same lessons together. Instead Severus would explain something to one boy and while that boy worked on his exercises, Severus would go to the other to explain his lesson.

When their first day of homeschooling finally ended at three p.m. Teddy's head felt so stuffed from all the things he had learned today, that he promptly fell asleep when he sat on his bed.

He woke up when he felt a soft hand running through his hair and he blinked sleepily. Slowly the room came into sight and he noticed his dad sitting on his bed with a tired but smiling face.

"Hey, buddy, how did your first school day go? Snape didn't scare you, did he?" Harry asked softly.

Teddy yawned and sat up, rubbing his hands in his eyes. "No, it was interesting. Uncle Sev can explain the lesson really well, but he just went on and on. My head is so full right now." He yawned again.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. That man is a brilliant tutor, but he doesn't know when to quit."

"How did your day go, dad?" Teddy asked and leaned his head against Harry's shoulder.

A dark look took over Harry's face for a moment before he plastered a fake smile on his face. "It went fine; the usual cases." He petted Teddy's brown hair for the last time before he stood up. "It's time for dinner, Teddy. After dinner, I have a surprise for you and Scorpius."

That was the only thing Teddy needed to hear to fully wake up. "A surprise? What is it?" he asked eagerly.

Harry shook his head smiling. "Nope, not going to tell you now. You have to wait until after dinner."

Teddy pouted but stood up. "That's not fair, dad."

Harry chuckled. "I know." He led Teddy outside his room. "I have to get rid of some documents, but you can go to the dining room already."

Teddy nodded and skipped downstairs.

Harry sighed and raked a hand through his unruly hair and walked into his room. He threw the documents in his hand on his desk and stared out of the window. Today had been the most frustrating day ever. Kingsley had nagged him until he finally had admitted who had given him the information about the unidentified potion ingredients and then it had all gone worse.

_Flashback_

_Kingsley stared at him incredulously. "I'm sorry, Harry, I don't think I heard you correctly. Who did you say has given you the information?"_

_Harry sighed and resisted the urge to rank his hand through his hair. "The information about the unidentified potion ingredients was given to me by Severus Snape."_

_The other man leaned back in his chair. "I really wanted to hear something else." He sighed. "I thought that man was dead."_

" _Well, I thought that too, but apparently he had an antidote against the poison of Voldemort's snake and he survived the attack."_

" _And why did nobody hear he was alive all these years?"_

_Harry shrugged. "Apparently he didn't want anyone to know where he was. Personally I can't blame him; the public wouldn't have been positive about him and he would have gotten more problems than during the war."_

_Kingsley's eyes hardened and lines appeared around his mouth. "I don't think I would have blamed the public if they attacked Snape."_

_Harry stared at him. "Excuse me, sir?"_

" _Snape isn't exactly an innocent person, Harry. He was a Death Eater and he killed Dumbledore. He probably killed more people that we don't know about. It would have been better if he just had died. Where does he live?"_

" _Why do you want to know where Snape lives?" Harry asked, his temper rising. True, Snape wasn't exactly innocent, but he was remorseful over his actions as a Death Eater (Harry himself had seen that in Snape's memories) and most things he had done, he had been ordered to by Dumbledore. Dumbledore himself had been the one to order Snape to kill him. Snape wasn't one of his favourite people and he could be a real bastard, but Harry believed Snape was a good man._

" _He needs to be on trial for the death of Dumbledore of course and for his actions during the war," Kingsley answered, frowning._

" _Wait, you want to give this man a trial for actions he wasn't responsible for and was ordered to do?" Harry asked incredulously._

" _Harry, he killed Dumbledore and many others. He needs to be punished." The other man scowled._

" _Dumbledore ordered Snape to kill him; I have the memories in the pensive to prove it. He doesn't need to be punished."_

" _Harry, come on, be reasonable. He deserves a punishment."_

" _No, he doesn't. He paid for his crimes when he was under Dumbledore's service! He gave his life to help others; the last thing he needs is a trial. Besides he helped me to give three possibilities for the ingredient. Do you really want to punish a man who helped other people and who is now helping me?" Harry asked, his voice dangerously low, his green eyes flashing._

_Kingsley stood up and for the first time anger showed on his face. "Potter, do I need to remind you that I'm still your superior? I want Snape's address! If you don't want to arrest him, then I'll send other Aurors, but that man will have a trial and I'll personally see to it that he goes to Azkaban for a long time."_

" _No."_

" _No?"_

" _No, I'm not giving you the address. I'm not letting you put Snape in prison. He doesn't deserve that," Harry snapped and crossed his arms._

" _Potter, if you don't give me the address, I will have no choice than to fire you for not only obstruction of justice, but for aiding and abetting a wanted criminal," Kingsley spat._

" _Well, I will save you the trouble and resign. But I warn you that I will defend Snape against anyone who dares to arrest him," Harry growled and left the office. That was the last time he would ever set foot in this building again. The only thing he did was taking the documents concerning the murderer with him. Maybe he could find some clue, even though the murderer had quieted down after the last victim – just like Snape had predicted._

_End flashback_

So now he wasn't an Auror anymore. Great how would he explain this to Teddy? Harry sighed and decided to wait with telling Teddy until later. He didn't want to ruin the surprise.

He plastered a smile on his face when he entered the dining room as to not worry Scorpius and Teddy, but unfortunately, one look at Draco's face told him Draco wasn't that quick to believe him.

Harry sighed inwardly and took his place next to Draco – wait, since when was he seated next to Draco?

Draco took the opportunity to give him a kiss on his mouth. "Are you all right? And don't dare to lie," he whispered in his ear.

"I'll tell you later," Harry sighed softly.

Draco nodded and gave his hand under table a soft squeeze. "Bon appétit," he grinned.

Teddy smiled and Scorpius giggled.

All during dinner, Scorpius told them enthusiastically about their first school day. Teddy occasionally said something too, but he was more content to just listen – well that and he wanted to know what the surprise was.

* * *

After dinner had ended, Teddy was almost bouncing up and down from excitement.

They were all seated in the living room when Teddy finally couldn't hold himself back any longer.

"Dad, are you finally going to tell us what the surprise is?" Teddy asked with sparkling blue eyes.

Scorpius' head shot up when he heard the word 'surprise'. "Surprise? Daddy has a surprise?" he asked excitedly and clapped his hands.

"You know it's Halloween tomorrow, right?" Harry asked and smiled.

Both boys nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, I hid a Halloween surprise for you guys in your rooms; go search it." Harry winked.

With a big grin, both boys ran upstairs, hurrying to their rooms.

"What did you get them?" Draco asked interested and pulled Harry next to him, hugging him against his side.

"I got them costumes to go trick or treating tomorrow," Harry replied, grinning.

"You're going to be the death of me, Harry James Potter. Now Scorpius won't ever calm down," Draco groaned.

Harry chuckled and gave the other man a kiss on his cheek. "Sorry. But I couldn't help it; the costumes were so cute."

Draco was very tempted to deepen the kiss, but he remembered that something was wrong with Harry and he sighed. "Are you going to tell me what happened that made you upset?"

"I'm not upset," Harry protested.

"Your eyes are not sparkling as they usually are," Draco commented idly and stroked the black hair. "So I know there's something wrong."

Harry stared at him; not knowing if he should feel flattered or be freaked out that Draco paid that much attention to him. "Eh, nothing special. Just that IresignedbecauseIdidn'twanthimtogetarrested," he said in one breath.

Draco looked confused. "What did you say? Sorry, but I couldn't understand that."

Harry sighed and sat up right. "I kind of resigned, because Kingsley wanted me to arrest Snape or at least give him the address so that he could give Snape a trial. I refused and he threatened to fire me and I told him I resigned. So basically I have no job now."

Draco blinked. "Wait, you gave up your job to protect Severus?"

Harry scowled. "Don't say it like that; I just didn't like that they wanted to put him in Azkaban even after he spent most of his life helping other people."

Draco smiled and pulled Harry on his lap. "Severus will be grateful that you defended him."

"No, he won't. The bastard doesn't understand the concept of gratitude," Harry grumbled.

Draco chuckled and kissed Harry's nose. "Still it was nice of you."

"Yeah, but me being nice leads to me not having a job," Harry sighed, the implications of having resigned only settling in now. _What would he do now?_

"We'll figure something out," Draco promised.

They both looked to the door when Scorpius and Teddy ran into the room again, both dressed in their costumes.

Scorpius was dressed as a little vampire, complete with fake, sharp teeth and Teddy was dressed as a little werewolf. The costume had come with the ears and fluffy paw gloves. The only thing he missed was whiskers on his cheeks, but Harry would put those on his face when they would go trick or treating.

"And do you like the surprise, boys?" Harry asked nervously. He hadn't known for sure if he should have bought his godson a werewolf costume, considering it was a sensitive subject because of Remus. But when he had seen the costume, it had looked so perfect for Teddy.

"It's fantastic!" Scorpius laughed excitedly. "Look, papa, I'm a vampire!" He showed the pointy teeth.

"Oh, I'm scared." Draco pretended to shiver.

Scorpius giggled and flew onto the couch, snuggling into Draco's right side.

Teddy snuggled against Harry's side, his paws resting on Harry's leg.

"And do you like it, Teddy? I can buy something else if you want another costume," Harry murmured softly.

Teddy shook his head. "No, I don't want another costume. I really like it, dad," he murmured and smiled shyly.

Harry smiled relieved. "I'm glad to hear that," he chuckled.

"Thank you, daddy!" Scorpius chirped and kissed Harry's cheek.

"It was nothing, Scorpius," Harry smiled.

* * *

The next evening, two eager boys, dressed in their costumes, were impatiently waiting for their parents to take them trick and treating.

It was actually the first time Teddy and Scorpius would go trick and treating. Teddy hadn't gone the past years, because his dad hadn't had the time for it and his grandma didn't understand the fun of it. Scorpius hadn't gone, because most of the times, his papa had forgotten about the holiday or was busy with a fling.

Harry smiled when he saw the two excited boys.

"Ready to go trick or treating?" he asked smiling.

"Yes!"

"Let's go."

Slowly they walked through the streets, the two adults waiting for Scorpius and Teddy when they had gone up to a house to do their trick or treating.

"You know, I wouldn't have minded it if you had put on a costume as well," Draco muttered in Harry's ear, his breath coming out in white clouds.

Harry glanced at him amused. "Oh? Which costume would you have liked to see me in then?"

Draco leered at him. "Oh, maybe a cat costume with the paws and ears. Or a little devil."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're perverted, Draco."

"But you know you love that." Draco winked.

Harry chuckled and shook his head.

As the evening went on, the bags of Scorpius and Teddy got fuller and fuller with all sorts of candy and Draco dreaded the moment when Scorpius would eat all that candy and get a high sugar rush. It wouldn't be a pretty sight.

Eventually they decided to visit the shop of George, because it had been a while that Harry had seen him. He was one of the few Weasleys Harry still was in contact with.

"Hiya Harry! Good to see you! And hello there, Teddy!" George grinned, but his smile faltered when he noticed Draco and Scorpius.

Not wanting a fight to break out, Harry hastily said, "Draco and I decided to bury the hatchet and be friends, hope you don't mind that, George? He'll behave, I promise."

"We decided to try being lovers; we passed the stage of friendship," Draco reminded Harry smugly, but had to catch his breath when Harry elbowed him in the stomach.

Harry flushed red. "I said, behave Draco," he hissed.

George laughed. "This is priceless. Did Ginny turn you gay, Harry?"

Harry went redder. "What? No! Of course not!"

"He became gay for me," Draco smirked and sneaked his arms around Harry's waist; a daring move in front of a Weasley.

George shook his head, but kept smiling. "You know what? I don't care if you're together with Malfoy. As long as you're happy, then I'm okay with it, little brother." Then he turned to Draco. "But if you ever hurt him, I'm going to use some very painful curses on you that will make you beg for your mummy," he said solemnly.

"Completely understood." Draco nodded.

"Now, do you want some new toys to play with, boys?" George addressed Teddy and Scorpius who nodded enthusiastically.

"Follow me." George winked.

"Well, I must say, he's one of the few Weasleys who managed to use their brain," Draco commented idly, still not releasing Harry.

"Be careful, Draco, it would ruin your reputation if someone heard you complimenting a Weasley," Harry snickered.

Draco sneered and tightened his grip.

"Malfoy? What the fuck are you doing here with Harry?" Suddenly a shrill voice screamed.

_Oh shit_ , was the only thought that went through Harry's head.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Snape and Harry starting to be on civil terms, some fluff between Draco and Harry, some foul language
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 18**

With dread, Harry turned his head (because his body was securely held against Draco's and Draco didn't seem ready to let him go anytime soon) and saw Ginny standing in the middle of the shop. She was dressed in a poisonous green, strapless dress that showed too much of her cleavage.

"Good evening, Ginny," Harry said politely.

Her cheeks flared even redder and her brown eyes were almost spitting fire. Harry had forgotten how temperamental the Weasleys could get and he winced at the thought of the upcoming fight.

"Why are Malfoy's arms around you, Harry?" Ginny asked hissing.

Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Because he's my lover," Draco answered coldly.

Harry groaned inwardly; why, oh why, was he with someone who didn't know when to keep his mouth shut?

"Are you delusional, Malfoy?" Ginny asked mocking. "Harry is so _not_ your lover!"

Draco raised a blond eyebrow. "Oh no? Why do you think he has my arms around him? Because he was cold?"

"Draco, please, I really am not in the mood for a fight now," Harry sighed, but didn't remove the arms around his waist. _Hey, he felt comfortable with Draco's arms around him!_

"Since when are you calling him Draco, Harry? You can't seriously tell me that this filthy piece of scum is your lover?" she asked incredulously.

Harry sighed again. "Ginny, please, I don't want a fight. Draco and I decided to try a relationship." He shrugged.

Brown eyes almost popped out of her head. "What? That can't be! You can't be gay, Harry!"

"And why not?" Draco asked and he almost sounded amused.

"Because he has been with me! He has been with no one else since we broke up, so he can't be gay!" Ginny replied triumphantly.

"Hn. Ever thought of the fact that maybe you made him gay, Weaslette? I can't blame him," Draco smirked.

At this Ginny shrieked, "FUCK YOU, FERRET!"

"No, thank you. I have no desire to fuck someone who's a walking disease." Draco made a disgusted face.

Immediately tears sprung up in Ginny's eyes. "Harry, how can you let him say that about me?" she cried and looked at him pitifully.

Harry shook his head. "I think it's better if you leave now, Ginny."

"But Harry." Her lower lip trembled. "I wanted to make amends with you! I wanted to give our relationship another try. I promise you I will make you happier than him!"

"Ginny, we don't have a relationship anymore. I broke up with you, five years ago, for a reason. I'm sorry, but I don't want to try again. I'm with Draco now and he makes me happy," Harry said calmly, but solemnly. He could swear he felt Draco grinning smugly behind him.

"You don't mean that, Harry! You're just confused now; I'm sure that once we have talked, you'll see that I'm better for you than Malfoy," Ginny replied hopefully.

"Oh really? What makes you better than me? From what I've heard, Harry caught you cheating – that doesn't make a good impression, Weasley. You had your chance with him and you blew it," Draco sneered.

Ginny puffed out her cheeks, making her look like she had hid food in her cheeks, but said smugly, "I can give him an heir, something that you can never do, Malfoy." Her eyes shone triumphantly.

Draco tensed and wanted to inform her about certain kinds of potion that made it able for men to get pregnant, but Harry interrupted him.

"I don't care if we can't get an heir, Ginny. I already have two sons - Teddy and Scorpius," he said forcefully and a harsh glint appeared in his eyes.

"Oh please! A Malfoy brat and that clinging whelp you consider as your sons? My, Harry, your standards have lowered since you have been away from me," she sneered, but didn't manage to hide a jealous tone.

"All right, that's it! I don't need to listen to your bullshit anymore. I've said it once and I say it again; you're nothing but a whiny slut who can't get it through your head that the world doesn't revolve around you," Harry hissed and his green eyes flashed. "I pity the victim you choose as your next boyfriend, Ginny, I really do." He broke free of Draco's hold and grabbed Scorpius' and Teddy's hands who had been standing behind them. "Come on, boys, do you have your candy and the toys Uncle George gave you?"

The boys nodded; they were too scared to answer verbally. They had never seen Harry that angry – not even Teddy had seen him like this when he had broken up with Ginny. Granted, he had been in his room when Harry had broken up with the bitch, but he had heard their voices through the wooden floor and never once had he detected anger in his dad's voice. Now however, his dad's eyes were practically spitting fire. What had Ginny said to make him that angry? He had only heard the last part of the conversation where Harry had said that he and Scorpius were his sons. Harry may have said it to him already, but it had felt good to hear him saying that in public.

Scorpius stared wide-eyed at Harry. Even his papa had never been this angry. He felt nervous holding his daddy's hand and he scolded himself for it – his daddy would never hurt him. Besides, he had said to that mean lady that he and Teddy were his sons.

They left a gaping Ginny behind and when they entered the alley next to the shop, they Apparated immediately.

* * *

As soon as they were inside of the manor, Harry dropped the hold he had on Teddy's hand and stalked off to a room somewhere upstairs, his face cloudy and his hand tightened the grip on his wand.

Teddy and Scorpius wanted to follow their daddy, but they were stopped by a hand on their shoulders. They turned around and looked questioningly at Draco.

Draco shook their head, his eyes concerned and trained on the room upstairs that Harry had entered. "Boys, I think it's best that you wait in the living room for Harry to come back."

"Why? Is daddy mad at us?" Scorpius asked with a small voice.

"No, of course not. He's mad at the red haired lady in the shop. Your daddy is just …" Draco hesitated, trying to find the right word.

"Letting off some steam?" Teddy offered.

Draco nodded surprised.

"Dad does that sometimes when someone has annoyed him too much," Teddy mumbled and made his way to the living room, placing his two bags (one filled with candy and one with the joke toys he had gotten from his Uncle George) on the coffee table. He settled himself on the couch, pulling off his paws and removing the ears on his head. He wondered if his dad would be angry for the rest of the night. That had happened a few times before.

He glanced up when he felt a small, warm boy snuggling next to him. Draco had left them to call for some house elf.

"Do you think daddy will stay mad for long?" Scorpius asked timidly after he had removed his fake sharp teeth.

Teddy sighed and let his head fall back on the couch. "I don't know, Scorpius. It depends on how mad Ginny has made him."

"Why was that lady so mean to daddy?" Scorpius asked curiously. He figured that because Teddy hadn't snapped at him earlier, it was safe to ask more questions.

Teddy was feeling too tired to be annoyed at Scorpius' question and decided to just answer. "Because that lady tried to convince dad that she was better for him than your dad."

Teddy couldn't suppress his amused snort when he saw Scorpius scowling. It was a rather funny sight, seeing a six year old trying to scowl angrily.

"But daddy belongs to papa," Scorpius said stubbornly.

"You think so?" Teddy asked amused.

"Yes. Papa can only make daddy happy; not that mean lady." Scorpius pouted and crossed his arms.

"Well, dad didn't deny that," Teddy smiled weakly.

Suddenly Scorpius looked around carefully, before bringing his mouth to Teddy's ear to whisper, "Do you think that papa will know it if I ate some candy now?" Huge, grey eyes looked at him.

Teddy couldn't contain a chuckle; really, this boy could be hilarious when he wanted to be. "Not if you do it when they don't see it."

"Then I'm going to hide my candy," Scorpius chirped and jumped off the couch. He grabbed his bags, but before he ran to his room, he turned to Teddy and bit on his lip. "You won't tell papa I take my candy to my room?"

"My lips are sealed," Teddy smirked. Really, why would he care what the little brat did?

Scorpius beamed and ran upstairs to hide his candy. Teddy shook his head and hoped that the boy wasn't someone that would get a sugar high. With his luck lately, the boy would be a bouncing, sugar high brat.

He was startled when his dad appeared in the doorway.

"Are you all right, dad?" he asked softly.

Harry fell next to him on the couch. "Don't worry about me," he smiled tiredly and ruffled Teddy's now brown hair. He looked around and raised an eyebrow. "Where is Scorpius?"

"He went to his room for a minute." Teddy shrugged.

"So how many items do I need to replace in that room?" Draco asked casually and entered the living room.

Harry smiled sheepishly. "A table, two chairs and a vase. That dark brown one with the flower pictures," he added.

Draco waved his hand carelessly and somehow managed to find a spot next to Harry to sit. "Don't worry about the vase, I never liked it anyway," he replied amused.

Harry sighed and started to caress Teddy's hair. Teddy leaned against his dad's shoulder and closed his eyes, enjoying the caress.

"Sorry you had to deal with Ginny. If I had known she would have been there, I would have waited for a later moment to visit George," Harry murmured.

"But you didn't know that. Besides, we would have met her sooner or later anyway," Draco snorted.

They looked up when Scorpius entered the room, clad in his pyjamas.

"Hey there, little man, are you ready to go to sleep? Uncle Sev will be here tomorrow to continue your lessons," Draco said softly.

Scorpius nodded. "I'm ready, papa."

"All right, I'll take you to bed," Draco said and stood up, grabbing Scorpius' hand.

"It's time for you to go to sleep too, Teddy," Harry smiled.

When he received no answer, he looked down and chuckled softly when he saw Teddy sleeping on his shoulder.

"Guess Trick or Treating tired him out," Harry whispered amused. Carefully, he slid from underneath Teddy, but held Teddy's head with his hand as to not wake him up.

Softly he lowered the boy down on the couch and first grabbed the two bags, stuck his wand in his back pocket and slowly lifted his godson in his arms.

Carefully as to not disturb the boy, Harry walked up the stairs, pushing the door of the bedroom open with his foot and placed the boy on his bed. With a swish of his wand, Teddy's wolf costume was replaced with green pyjamas and Harry tucked him in. He gave him a soft kiss on his forehead before leaving the room, soundlessly closing the door.

He almost jumped three feet in the air when he turned around to see Draco standing behind him.

"Are you really all right, Harry?" Draco asked concerned.

Harry scowled. "I'm not a pathetic girl that's freaked out by an ex-lover, Draco. Sure, Ginny was especially annoying tonight, but it wasn't something I can't handle. You don't need to worry about me," he said annoyed.

"Now what kind of lover would I be if I didn't worry about you?" Draco smiled and took his hand.

"One who doesn't get punched," Harry answered, smiling sweetly.

Draco blinked and pouted. "That isn't nice, Harry."

"Life isn't nice, Draco," Harry said amused and made his way to his room.

Draco followed him closely behind. "Harry, I'm going to ask you something and you have to promise you will think about it before you give me an answer, all right?" he asked, sounding strangely nervous.

Harry looked at him warily, but nodded. "As long as you don't start about sex, then fine."

_Damn_ , Draco thought inwardly pouting. "No, that's not what I was going to ask," he said and looked at him hopefully. "Would you mind it if I slept in the same bed with you tonight?"

Harry stared at him.

"There won't be any sex – well, unless you want me to – but I just want to sleep with you tonight," Draco hurriedly continued, in case Harry got the wrong idea.

"Why would you suddenly want to sleep with me? Is this about Ginny for some stupid reason?" Harry asked confused.

Grey eyes narrowed. "No, it isn't about her," Draco replied through clenched teeth. If it had been up to him, he would have hexed the red haired slut so badly, she would be begging for her mother by the time he was done with her. And no, he wasn't jealous and no, he didn't feel threatened. He just couldn't stand the tramp that had made _his_ Harry miserable for a while. "I just want to fall asleep with you."

Harry studied him for a while, but then decided there was no reason to refuse. Of course, it would be slightly awkward, considering it had been a long while since he last had slept with someone in the same bed and it was a man at that, but what could it hurt? If Draco couldn't keep his hands to himself, he would kick him out of his bed and make him sleep on the floor.

"Fine, just keep your hands to yourself." Harry shook his head and opened the door of his bedroom.

"I still can hug you, right?" Draco asked for confirmation, though he was already beaming.

"As long as you keep your hands above the waist, then yes, you may hug me." Harry rolled his eyes, but was secretly amused.

"I'll be a good boy," Draco promised, grinning.

"Somehow that doesn't comfort me as it should," Harry said dryly. "Now turn around while I change."

"You know, there will be a time where you don't want me to turn around while you change," Draco hinted smugly, but turned around anyway.

"Maybe, but that time is not now, so deal with it," Harry smiled and crawled into his bed.

Without any shame, Draco started to undress until he was left in his boxers and Harry quickly looked away, a blush covering his cheeks. No, he wasn't embarrassed; he just wanted to give Draco some privacy.

But whether Draco wanted privacy was another question.

Harry startled when his hand met naked skin when Draco slid next to him in bed.

"Draco, why are you only wearing your boxers? Shouldn't you go change into your pyjamas? It's quite cold in the morning," Harry hinted.

"I always wear boxers to bed – or I'm completely naked, but that's only in the summer," Draco murmured and pulled Harry in his arms, snuggling him to his chest.

"Draco, I swear to Merlin, if you try something you will have to search for your balls for a long time," Harry warned him.

Draco chuckled. "Understood." He gave him a sweet kiss on his lips. "Sleep well, Harry."

"Good night, Draco," Harry mumbled and his eyes slipped close.

Draco smiled tenderly and stroked a few times over Harry's cheek. He could get used to this. Not long after, he followed Harry in the land of dreams.

* * *

The following day, Harry was found sitting at the kitchen table, staring in his cup of coffee, wondering what he would do with his life now that he had quit his job. He had looked at the case yesterday, but nothing new had come up. Now that the murderer was lying low, they couldn't get many clues unless the victims woke up. But in order to wake up the victims, they had to have an antidote. Even though they had now a list of three possible ingredients, it would be risky to make an antidote with one of them if they didn't know for sure if the ingredient was the right one. If they chose the wrong ingredient, the victims would die of the antidote. On the other hand, they were now slowly dying too.

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes.

Draco sat next to him, looking worried, but he didn't say anything. The two boys were already waiting in the study room, reading a book while they were waiting for their tutor to show up.

Harry blinked when a black figure showed up in his vision and when he looked up, he saw Snape standing in the kitchen, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you still doing here, Potter? Do I really need to remind you every morning that you have to work to go to? You are not a student anymore, so I suggest you start acting like the responsible adult you are," Snape sneered and accepted the cup of coffee a house elf gave him.

Harry glowered at him, but didn't reply.

However Draco answered for him. "He quit his job, Sev," he said softly.

Harry looked at him scandalized. "Draco, who said I gave you permission to tell him this? Did it occur to you that I wanted to keep that private for a little while more?" he asked angrily.

"Harry, be reasonable. How long would you have kept Severus in the dark? He's here almost every day. You couldn't possibly tell him you are on a vacation," Draco argued, not wanting to back down. He didn't like seeing Harry angry at him, but it was ridiculous to think Severus wouldn't say anything about him staying at home.

"I'm still present in this room, idiotic brats. I would appreciate it if you would stop talking about me as if I wasn't present," Snape interjected drily.

Draco had the grace to look sheepish. "Sorry, Sev."

"Hmpf," Snape snorted. "Why did you quit your job, Potter? I thought you loved being an Auror; at least that gave you an excuse to play the hero."

"I don't need to play an hero, sir," Harry replied through clenched teeth. He seriously needed to remind himself why exactly he had defended this man.

Draco sighed. "Because he defended you and didn't want you to be arrested."

If a glare could kill, Draco would be dead by now.

"Draco, don't you ever know when to shut up?" Harry hissed and clenched his fists. Snape would probably laugh at him now – well, if the jerk could laugh at least. He could already hear the snarky comments, _'Are you that much of a hero you even defend ex Death Eaters, Potter?_ '.

Harry's cheeks burned when Snape stared at him with unreadable eyes. He had always hated the fact that he could never read Snape's face. It would be so much easier if he could guess what Snape thought; at least that way he would be able to steel himself against the sarcastic comments Snape was famous for.

Snape's reply however left Harry baffled.

"I never thought I would have to thank you for helping me, Potter. I guess that miracles still do happen, no?" The man smirked. "Although you still were stupid for helping me in the first place. Try to use your brains for once, boy."

_It's official; the world has gone mad_ , Harry thought amazed. _Snape has just thanked me in his own way. Next thing I know, he will be telling me stories about my mom._

"Idiotic brat," Snape muttered and he sounded amused. "You didn't need to help me."

"Probably not, but you already said it, sir. We Gryffindors are heroic idiots who want to save everyone," Harry said and he surprised himself by chuckling.

"You're a strange brat, Potter," Snape murmured. "Perhaps you're not that bad after all."

_Maybe associating with Snape on a daily basis won't be so bad_ , Harry thought and he took a sip of his coffee.

Maybe he should look through the Daily Prophet for job offers. With that in mind, Harry nodded to Draco and Snape and left to his room to read the newspaper. Who knew, maybe he would find something interesting.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Sugar high Scorpius, scheming Ginny
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> Also, I don't mean any offence to people with low attention spans

**Chapter 19**

Black eyes stared at a bouncing and twitching Scorpius. The eyes then turned to Teddy who was looking slightly amused at the blond boy.

"Scorpius Malfoy, what on _earth_ are you doing? Sit still, you look like an idiot." Snape glared.

Teddy bit on his lip to keep his chuckle inside. He thought he had an idea of what was happening with the blond boy. The brat had probably eaten a lot of his candy which gave him a sugar rush. He wondered how much Scorpius had eaten of his candy, but decided he didn't want to know; it must have been a lot to have the boy twitching and bouncing this much.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Sev. I don't know what's wrong; I can't sit still," Scorpius pouted and his hands tapped the desk.

Dark eyes narrowed when a memory of a younger Draco entered his mind, looking like this exactly. "Scorpius, did you eat, by any chance, candy?"

Scorpius bit on his lip, but nodded. He hadn't wanted to eat so much, but once he had started, it had tasted so good and he had just kept going … He had only a fourth left of the original amount. "Sorry, Uncle Sev."

Snape sighed and pinched his nose, trying to keep his anger in check. It wouldn't do to get angry at the boy; like every child he couldn't resist the call of candy and had probably eaten a large amount. Besides it was in his blood; his father had a severe sweet tooth too.

"I can't fathom why your father would let you eat so much sugar when he knows what it does with you," he said annoyed.

Scorpius bit on his lip and lowered his eyes; his legs now bouncing up and down.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "Does your father know that you ate that much sugar, Scorpius?"

"Maybe," the boy answered meekly.

Snape gritted his teeth and reminded himself that cursing six year old boys was not a good idea. No matter how tempting the thought sounded.

"Why didn't you stop him before he consumed that much sugar?" he snapped at Teddy.

Teddy raised his hands in defeat. "How was I supposed to know he would eat that much candy? It's not like we sleep in the same room," he answered innocently.

A black eye twitched. "You remind me too much of your father," he growled.

Teddy looked confused. "My real father or Prongslet?"

"Both," Snape replied through gritted teeth.

Teddy beamed as if it was a compliment.

"That was not a compliment, insolent brat," Snape growled.

Teddy shrugged; a daring move. Of course, that was to be suspected of the son of a Marauder and the godson of a Marauder's son. Only someone with Gryffindor blood in their veins or family of a Marauder would ever dare to shrug when Snape said something.

It took all of Snape's patience not to strangle the boy. He quickly took several deep breaths and his hands gripped the table, leaving marks behind. "Considering Scorpius decided it was prudent to consume a massive amount of sugar, I suspect it would be wise if we spend this day in the gardens, studying the various plants that are used for potions," he announced through clenched teeth.

Teddy, finally realizing that it was a smart idea to keep a low profile, just nodded and grabbed his bag. "Yes, sir."

"Okay, Uncle Sev." Scorpius nodded and jumped of his chair, still twitching and bouncing.

"Follow me."

* * *

Draco raised an eyebrow and lowered his cup of coffee when he noticed his twitching and bouncing son in the gardens. Severus was standing near a plant that was used for healing potions and Teddy was listening intently.

_Why was his son bouncing?_

When the two boys were left alone for five minutes, Draco made his way into the gardens, approaching his godfather.

"Severus, why is my son twitching and bouncing like a kid with a low attention span?" he asked nonchalantly.

Severus glowered. "Your son decided it was prudent to consume a large amount of that disgusting substance people dare to call candy."

Draco blinked. "So he's on a sugar rush," he confirmed dryly. He shook his head. "I wonder when he ate that candy. I never saw him eat it this morning."

The older man stared at him and snorted. "Following the footsteps of his father, he has probably hidden his stash in his room."

Draco grinned. "He's a smart child, isn't he?" He ducked quickly out of the way when Severus made a move to slap his head. "Well, I will leave you to your lesson again." He chuckled and made his way back to the manor. He decided to start on the documents that were waiting for him in his study. He grimaced; he really wasn't looking forward to that.

* * *

With slight wariness, Harry looked through the Daily Prophet. Yes, he was looking for job offers, but he also wanted to check that the newspaper hadn't received any news of his relationship with Draco. He really wasn't ready to deal with the kind of shit the newspaper would print about him and Draco.

If he was honest, he had suspected that Ginny would have ratted him out to the papers considering she had been furious last night. And what better revenge than publishing his new relationship – a relationship with a man, Draco Malfoy no less – and enjoying the havoc it would cause? But nothing was published and Harry was confused. Did this mean that Ginny wasn't that upset? He didn't know.

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes. He took a sip of his tea and his eyes trailed over the page of the job offers. He wanted to find a job where he could help people, like he had done when he was an Auror. Helping people was something he was good at, something that was almost second nature to him.

He was tempted to call it a day when he found something interesting. He sat up straight in his chair and attentively read the advertisement. This was interesting. It fitted his one demand of helping people. That and he wouldn't bring himself into danger, something he thought Draco and the boys would appreciate.

He carefully ripped the advertisement out of the newspaper and put it away in one of his desk drawers. He would think about it more, but there was a high chance he had found his new job – after he had finished the studies of course.

Harry smiled and stretched. No news about his relationship and maybe he had found a new job. It started out to be a good day.

A loud crash downstairs interrupted his thoughts.

Harry sighed and decided to check what had happened.

He was met with the sight of a broken vase, a table broken in pieces and a trembling Scorpius who looked on the verge of sobbing.

Snape was almost ripping his hair out while his face was turning red from rage. "What on earth were you thinking, you insolent, stupid brat? What could have possibly run through your head when you decided to do that?" he snapped.

"I – I'm sorry, Un – Uncle Sev," Scorpius whimpered and big tears were running over his cheeks.

"Hey, hey, what happened here?" Harry asked and walked to Scorpius. He bent down and pulled Scorpius' head up to look in his eyes. "Can you tell me what happened, Scorpius?"

The little, blond boy brought his hands up to his face and hid behind them, shaking his head.

"Sir, why don't you go? I'll clean up here," Harry suggested. Maybe Scorpius would be willing to tell him what had happened if Snape was out of sight.

Snape sneered. "Fine with me." He turned to go, but was stopped again.

"Eh, could you tell me where Teddy is?"

"Probably up in his room." With that, the man disappeared behind the corner.

Harry frowned, but took his wand and with a muttered "Reparo" the vase and the table were fixed.

Meanwhile Scorpius was still sobbing, his small body trembling with the force of his sobs.

Harry sighed and picked him up, the two little legs closing around his waist. Scorpius buried his face in Harry's neck and Harry shivered a bit when he felt the tears dropping on his skin.

He walked to the living room and settled himself on the couch, Scorpius still clinging to him.

"Hey, sweetie, what happened?" he asked softly and began to rub Scorpius' back.

Scorpius shook his head. "No, you'll be mad," he whimpered.

"I won't be mad, I promise," Harry cooed.

Scorpius clutched to Harry by gripping his shirt tightly and replied, "Un – Uncle Sev said that – that the lesson was over to – today and I – I went to my bed – bedroom to play wi – with some toys. I – I thought it'd be fun if I played with Uncle George's toys, but when I played with them, there was – was a loud boom and – and the vase and table broke. I didn't mean to!" he cried.

"Hush, sweetie, I know you didn't mean to break those things. You couldn't have known what Uncle George's toys would do," Harry soothed him.

"Bu – but Uncle Sev is mad at me."

"I'm sure he will forgive you," Harry murmured. "Hush now, come on. Nobody is angry with you." He began to rock Scorpius.

Slowly, the sobs stopped and after a while even the sniveling ceased. Harry only stopped the rocking movement when he felt the even breath of Scorpius against his neck. When he looked down, he saw that the boy had cried himself to sleep.

Carefully he stood up and tightened his grip on Scorpius, to avoid him falling.

When he reached the staircase, he was stopped by Draco.

"Harry, do you know why Severus was so furious he decided to Apparate straight through the wards?" he asked and crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you hear the crash?" Harry asked surprised.

Draco shook his head. "No, I was in my study, looking through some documents."

Harry stared. "You work?" he asked surprised.

Grey eyes narrowed and he huffed. "Yes, I work. What did you think I did all day?"

"Reading, spending time with your son … I don't know. It's just that I thought you were too rich to need to work." Harry shrugged as well as he could with a sleeping boy in his arms.

"You're rich too, but you work as well, don't you?" Draco asked and rolled his eyes. "You didn't answer my question - why was Severus so furious?"

Harry sighed and shifted Scorpius a bit. "Scorpius decided to play with some toys of George, but he didn't know what it would do. Apparently it caused an explosion, which broke the table and the vase – I repaired them," he added when he saw the other man looking towards the mentioned furniture. "Snape didn't see the humor of exploding things and decided it was smart to get angry at a six year old boy." He rolled his eyes. "Scorpius was completely freaked out. Really, that man should learn to behave himself. What was he thinking, blowing up at a child like that?" he muttered and shook his head.

Draco just looked at him amused; Harry was reminding him of a concerned mother, but he decided not to tell him that. He didn't think Harry would appreciate being compared to a woman.

"Anyway, Scorpius fell asleep, so I'm going to bring him to his room," he explained.

"Alright. Did you find anything in the newspaper?" Draco asked curiously.

"Maybe, I'm not sure," Harry replied hesitatingly and then made his way up to Scorpius' bedroom.

Draco looked confused, but shrugged. He would hear it when Harry finally had decided on a job.

* * *

The red haired woman bit on her lower lip while looking at a picture. A finger stroked over the black haired, green eyed man in the picture and a soft tender smile appeared on the woman's face.

Ginny sighed and stared out of the window of her apartment in London. She missed Harry terribly. After she had realized how stupid she had been to let Harry slip out of her hands like that, she could have smacked herself. She had had everything - she was pretty, smart and she had been the girlfriend of _the_ Harry Potter. Harry was the perfect man; smart, gentle, handsome, strong, sexy and he was rich. Every girl had been jealous of her. And she had fucked it up by sleeping around. Honestly, why she had done that, she still didn't know. It wasn't as if Harry wasn't satisfying in bed …

Ginny shook her head. It was all in the past now; nothing she could do about that. Instead of wasting her energy on guessing why she had been so stupid to sleep around, she could direct her energy better at finding a way to win Harry back.

She narrowed her eyes when she thought of the complication: Draco Malfoy. How on earth he had managed to snatch her Harry, she still didn't know. Maybe he had cursed Harry or used a love potion. It didn't matter, she would get Harry back. It would take some time, but she could be patient if she wanted to be.

That's why she hadn't alerted the press to Harry's new relationship. If she wanted to make amends with Harry and have a chance with him, it was better to not anger him and if the newspaper was warned about his relationship, he would immediately know who had warned the press. She wasn't about to risk her chance with him. Although she wondered why Harry hadn't gone public with Malfoy if he was so sure of his relationship; after all, he hadn't cared when the press found out about his relationship with Ginny.

Ginny smirked; maybe this was something she could use to her advantage. As long as Harry didn't tell the world about him being Malfoy's lover, she still stood a chance. It was all a matter of planning now.

She would need a plan to take Harry away from Draco and she would need a plan to deal with those brats. She glowered when she was reminded of Teddy Lupin. She couldn't stand the boy and she was sure the feeling was mutual. She had never met a child who was as clingy as Teddy was with Harry. Whatever Teddy wanted, Teddy got, because he had Harry wrapped around his finger. Well, that wouldn't do. That boy would need to learn that he wasn't the most important person in Harry's life. But before she could do that, she would need to make amends with Harry.

She nodded thoughtfully and took a piece of parchment. She would start her plan with writing a letter. A gleeful smile appeared on her face when she began to write.

She would show Malfoy who was the most suited partner for Harry.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: some foul language, lime moment
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 20**

Green eyes blinked blearily and tried to focus when a hand was lightly stroking his side and chest. A tanned hand came up to rub the sleep out of his eyes and Harry opened his eyes fully, blinking sleepily.

"Draco?" Harry muttered, his voice rough with sleep.

"Hm," Draco chuckled. "Finally awake?"

"Hm, what time is it?" Harry asked and yawned.

"Tempus," Draco muttered and a green seven thirty floated in the air. "Seven thirty, still early."

"Early? Snape will be here in half an hour!" Harry exclaimed and shot up, suddenly wide awake.

"Relax, Severus is perfectly capable of finding his way in the manor and teaching the children," Draco soothed and pushed him back down.

"But who says Teddy and Scorpius are awake?" Harry asked worriedly. He really didn't want them to face Snape's wrath. Besides he was worried that Snape was still mad at Scorpius.

"I told two house elves to wake them up," Draco answered calmly and shifted so that he laid on Harry.

Harry tried to focus on Draco, but all he saw was blond, blurry outlines. "Where are my glasses?" he asked and his hand fumbled around on the nightstand.

Draco rolled his eyes and shoved the pair of glasses in Harry's hands.

Harry blinked and put the glasses on, Draco finally coming into focus. He frowned and put his hands on Draco's shoulders. "Draco, what are you planning?"

"What? I can't kiss my lover when I want to?" Draco whispered seductively and before Harry could protest, warm wet lips pressed against his own and demanded entrance. A tongue was probing against his closed mouth and Harry opened his mouth with a soft moan. Two tongues met each other and roamed around, each fighting for dominance.

Draco nudged Harry's legs open and immediately laid between them, pressing their bodies closer to each other.

A sharp intake of breath was Harry's reaction when he felt Draco's hips pushing against his. Draco began to kiss him more intently and Harry became aware of something hard pressing against his hip. He broke free to get some air since he was starting to feel lightheaded. Draco's mouth left his skin for a few seconds, before they attached themselves to the hollow of his neck. Harry whimpered softly; Draco had discovered one of his weak spots. His hands shot out to grab strong shoulders and Harry didn't know whether he should push the other man away or pull him closer.

A moan escaped his throat when a hand slipped underneath his shirt and began caressing his chest. He felt Draco smirking against his neck and he gasped when the hand began to tweak one of his nipples. His own hands started to caress Draco's naked back and his own mouth latched on the pale skin he found. He began to nip and suck at the skin, leaving a pale blue bruise behind when he let go. Draco growled and began to suck furiously on a spot in Harry's neck.

"Draco …" Harry moaned and his hips starting to move on his own accord, electing a gasp from the blonde man.

Something nagged at Harry's conscience, letting him know that there was something he was forgetting. He only didn't know what it was that he forgot.

Harry grabbed Draco's head and pulled it up to kiss him roughly on his mouth while bucking his hips to which Draco responded eagerly.

They never heard the door opening softly.

"Papa, don't squeeze daddy! You're going to hurt him!" a high voice scolded.

They shot up right and Harry pushed Draco off of him, his head fiercely red.

"Scorpius! What are you doing here?" Harry asked embarrassed.

Draco scowled and ranked a hand through his tousled, blond hair, breathing hard. He should have locked the door. The one time he had gotten Harry so far to do this and then he was interrupted by his own son!

"Well, having children is as effective as a cold shower," he muttered underneath his breath.

Scorpius toddled over to their bed, climbing on it with some slight difficulty, because he had something in his tiny hand. "Papa, you have to marry daddy first before you put a baby in his belly!" he told them sternly – or as sternly as a six year old could be.

Harry smacked his forehead and groaned. At least they hadn't been doing it literally.

Draco sighed. "Scorpius, I wasn't putting a baby in Harry's stomach."

Harry looked at him incredulously; did Draco really have to go along with that? Soon Scorpius would start getting weird ideas. And really why were they all insisting Harry would have been the one to carry the baby? Stupid Malfoys.

"Then what were you doing?" Scorpius asked curiously, his head tilted to the side.

The blush on Harry's face intensified.

"Daddy and I were practicing for later when we're going to put the baby in daddy's belly," Draco replied with a straight face.

His reply was a hard shove that landed him on the floor.

"What do you have with you, Scorpius?" Harry asked huffing and he glared at Draco who sat on the bed again.

"An old owl had this in his paws. It's for you, daddy," Scorpius replied smiling and pushed the folded parchment in Harry's hand.

Harry froze when he recognized the handwriting. Ginny had sent him a letter.

Draco narrowed his eyes when he saw the name on the paper.

"Harry?" he asked and touched his hand.

"I'm going to read this first," Harry replied absentmindedly.

Draco scowled, not liking it one bit that the tramp had sent his lover a letter, but nodded. He grabbed his son, threw him softly in the air and caught him back in his arms while Scorpius shrieked with laughter.

"Come on, little guy, daddy has to read his letter. You and I are going to wait for Uncle Sev, okay?" Draco smiled, but his smile was tense.

"Do you think Uncle Sev is still mad at me because of the table?" Scorpius asked meekly.

Harry didn't hear Draco's reply, because they had excited the room.

Harry frowned and propped his back up against the pillows. Why would Ginny sent him a letter? Well, he wouldn't find out unless he read it. Biting his lower lip, he casted a spell on it, searching for any curses or hexes. You never could be sure enough.

He took a deep breath and opened the letter.

' _Dear Harry_

_I have to apologize for my behaviour at Halloween. The things I said were uncalled for and you didn't deserve them. I'm sorry for hurting you, Harry. I know you probably won't believe me, but please know that I'm sincere when I say that I deeply regret the fact that I cheated on you. You didn't deserve that._

_I know this may seem as a surprise and if you refuse I would completely understand it, but maybe we could make a new start? As friends of course. I know when I'm defeated. I hope you will be happy with Malfoy, but could we try to be friends again? I'll make sure you don't regret it, Harry, if you decide to give me another chance. That's all I want: another chance and I don't care if it's just as friends. As long as you don't hate me anymore, then I'm happy._

_Once again, I apologize for everything that I've done to hurt you, and yes, I apologize to Malfoy too. In fact, I'll apologize to him directly if you want me to._

_Well, I don't know what more I can say. I hope you'll think about my offer of friendship and I hope to speak you really soon, Harry!_

_Love_

_Ginny'_

Harry stared at the letter dumbfounded. Ginny wanted another chance as friends? She apologized for everything? His fingers drummed on the sheets, creating a muffled sound. He grew agitated and jumped out of bed, pacing back and forth.

Should he believe Ginny? It had been years since he had really talked to her, but he still remembered that she wasn't someone who apologized easily. Could she mean it? She even offered to apologize to Draco and Harry knew that was something a Weasley would never do. Nobody had ever told him why the Malfoys and the Weasleys were like fire and water; all he knew was that they couldn't stand each other. The world would sooner end than that they would be civil to each other. But still … Ginny offered to apologize to Draco; it was a clear sign of a peace offer. She had apparently finally understood that she didn't have a chance anymore as Harry's lover, but Harry had never said they couldn't be friends anymore. It would make things easier if there wasn't any animosity between Ginny and his … Harry paused; yes, what was Draco to him? Boyfriend sounded so silly; it was something that you said when you were still a student. Soulmate was too heavy and Harry didn't believe in that kind of things. Lover then? No that was too uncomfortable. Harry settled for partner. That summed it up somehow.

So, if he accepted Ginny's offer, he would have it much easier. Besides, people could change. There was a big chance that Ginny really felt sorry for her behaviour all those years ago. The proof was in his hands.

Harry sighed and put the letter on his desk. He would think about it more thoroughly later and then he would send his reply. He went into the shower, the warm water relaxing him.

* * *

"Potter." Snape nodded to him when he walked past him, on his way to the kitchen.

Harry eyed him warily, but nodded back. "Good morning, sir."

Snape snorted. "That remains to be seen," he muttered and stalked his way to the study.

Harry shook his hand and chuckled softly. Yes, Snape would never change.

Draco looked up when Harry entered the kitchen and pulled him in his arms, Harry's back against his chest.

"What did she want?" he asked in a neutral voice and caressed his clothed stomach.

With slight difficulty, Harry managed to get himself a cup of coffee and he threw three sugar cubes in his coffee.

"She apologized for Halloween and she offered to try and be friends again. She even offered to apologize to you directly," Harry replied, still with his mind by the letter.

Draco tensed and his hand stilled. "And what are you going to reply?" he asked, hoping his voice didn't betray his anger. That little slut! What was she planning now? Because there was no doubt in his mind the dirty slut was planning something. Draco would be damned before he let her carry out her plan though.

"I don't know," Harry answered truthfully.

"Don't tell me you're considering her offer?" Draco asked incredulously.

Harry sighed. "Draco, I know you don't like her, but the fact that she's willing to apologize to you directly tells me she's serious about her offer. She wouldn't waste her breath on you if she didn't mean it."

Draco snorted. "You're naïve, Harry."

"What, why?" Harry scowled and spun around to face Draco.

"Don't you think it's a coincidence that she suddenly wants to be friends again, after all those years, I might add, when she had that chance years ago? Why would she wait until now to make the offer? She saw that I'm with you now and suddenly she wants to be friends again." He scowled. "Sorry, Harry, but I don't trust her."

"Draco, not everyone has ulterior motives like a Slytherin. There are actually people who are sincere when they make an offer," Harry scolded and crossed his arms.

"We're talking about a woman, Harry. Women don't have to be a Slytherin to make offers with ulterior motives," Draco huffed.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I'm still thinking about it."

Draco shook his head, but refrained from trying to change Harry's mind. He knew Harry was stubborn. If he wanted to accept Ginny's offer, he would, regardless of Draco's suspicions.

But that didn't mean that Draco wouldn't keep an eye out for that red haired tramp.

* * *

One week later, Harry managed to convince Draco to accept Ginny's offer and he sent a letter to her back, requesting that she met him in a week in Diagon Alley to talk.

Harry understood how Draco felt about Ginny and was therefore proud that Draco was willing to bury the hatchet and accept Ginny's apology. He supposed Draco deserved a reward for that. And he knew the perfect way to reward Draco. Besides, he was ready to take the next step in their relationship; granted it was early, but Harry felt he was ready for it.

* * *

Two evenings after Harry had sent the letter, he and Draco were lying in his bed, Teddy and Scorpius tucked in their beds after having heard a bedtime story. Harry was proud at Teddy for accepting Scorpius finally; Harry often found them playing together after having finished their homework and he couldn't resist hugging his godson every evening, telling him how proud he was. Teddy had never beamed so much.

Harry bit on his lip and he glanced at Draco who was reading a document. Harry himself was reading a horror book, named Drawing Blood. He had found it in the library when he was looking for something to read. It hadn't been until a quarter in the book that he had realized the main characters were gay. But since the book was very good, he couldn't put it away – even if it was horror and he normally didn't read it.

Making a decision, Harry put the book on his nightstand after having placed a book marker between the pages. He snuggled deeper into Draco's side and Draco smiled at him quickly, drawing him closer with one arm. He was still studying the document. Well, that wouldn't do.

His lips found a spot in Draco's neck and he began to softly lick, kiss and suck on it, while one of his hands was making his way over Draco's naked chest. After the initial embarrassment, Harry was quite happy that Draco slept half naked, because this allowed him the chance to admire the pale, muscled chest. Of course, he would never admit that; no need to fuel Draco's ego more.

"Hm, Harry, what are you doing?" Draco moaned softly, still trying to concentrate on the text. He really should read it through; it was about a business transaction with someone in France.

"Nothing special," Harry grinned and his lips trailed to Draco's mouth.

"Nothing special, he?" Draco murmured. He was tempted to throw the document away. Really, he should take advantage of Harry's sudden frisky mood. It was not every evening this happened.

"Now why don't you put that paper away, hm?" Harry breathed in his ear and his hand inched lower and lower, until he stopped at the boxers.

Draco began to tremble and his eyes strained to the hand that was lying innocently on his lower stomach. Yes, Harry was in a particularly frisky mood tonight and he wondered how far Harry would go with this.

His eyes shot up when a tanned hand plucked the paper out of his hands and put it on the nightstand.

"Why don't you focus your attention on me?" Harry nearly purred and his other hand joined the caressing.

"I don't have a problem with that," Draco breathed and pulled Harry's head up harshly to kiss him.

Harry smiled in the kiss and joined his tongue in the battle, heating things up. It wasn't long until both men were moaning and started to feel lightheaded.

Harry threw one leg over Draco's and while Draco began to suck his collarbone, he threw his head back and with one deep breath, slowly slid his hand underneath the black boxers. All right, the difficult part would start now. He knew all about kissing, but pleasing another man was entirely different. Still, it shouldn't be too difficult considering they were both men. Harry would only have to find out how exactly Draco liked it.

Draco's breath hitched when he felt a warm hand closing around his member and he pulled back to look at Harry, who was now sporting a blush and had sparkling eyes.

"Harry, are you sure about this?" he asked uncertainly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Do you ask every partner that when they have their hand around your dick?"

Draco chuckled breathlessly. "No, normally not. But I didn't care about the others."

"I feel flattered," Harry replied drily and began experimentally moving his hand up and down. He felt Draco hardening rapidly underneath his hand and he began to move his hand faster.

Draco groaned and buried his face in Harry's neck. "Harry," he moaned and he found Harry's soft, plump lips again. He began to suck and nibble on Harry's lower lip and slipped his tongue inside his mouth, engaging the other tongue in a furious battle.

He began pushing his hips against Harry's hand, wanting more friction. Heat began to gather in his lower stomach and whimpers began to slip out of his mouth – something he normally never did.

Deciding it was only fair to return the gesture, Draco fumbled with trembling hands at the strings on Harry's pyjama pants. Finally he managed to slide his hand in Harry's pants and his own hand closed around an already hard cock.

Harry took a deep breath when he felt the hand and a loud moan escaped his throat.

"Merlin, Draco," he mewled when Draco's hand sped up.

Their breath quickened and their kisses grew harsher, more passionate. They had to gasp for air multiple times, but every time their mouths found each other back. Pre cum was steadily leaking out of both their members and it wouldn't be long before they would lose control.

Muscles tensed, chests rapidly moved up and down and moans and groans were spilling quickly out of their mouths.

"Fuck," Draco murmured.

"Not now," Harry panted and he sucked on one of Draco's pale nipples.

Draco threw his head back against the many pillows and groaned. With one quick movement, he pulled Harry on his lap, bringing their hips together.

They pulled their hands back, because it was an awkward position to wank each other. Instead of their hands, they began to rub their hips together. Heat began to pool more and their nerves felt like they were on fire.

Harry had never felt like this before; sex with Ginny had never felt this incredible and wanking hadn't even come close to this. This was the most fantastic feeling he ever had had.

Their hands ran quickly over each other's body, trying to feel as much skin as they could.

Draco pulled Harry's head back from his position on Draco's chest and pushed his lips hard against Harry's, while his whole body shook with his orgasm. White stars erupted behind his eyelids and he swallowed Harry's scream with his mouth when Harry came too. Harry's whole body trembled and his hips bucked against Draco's hips.

Finally, after felt like minutes, their bodies relaxed and their breathing calmed down.

Lazily, Draco spelled their boxers clean and embraced Harry tighter to his chest. Harry sighed contently and laid his head underneath Draco's chin.

"That was amazing," Harry murmured and softly kissed Draco's shoulder.

"I can only agree with that," Draco smiled. "Remember me to use silence spells when we make love."

"Why silence spells?" Harry asked, sounding tired.

"Because I just discovered that you're a screamer. It wouldn't do to wake up the boys," Draco chuckled.

"Prat." Harry wacked his arm lightly, not having enough strength left to put force behind the slap.

"But I like the fact that you're a screamer, Harry. It's flattering," Draco smiled and kissed Harry's temple.

"Arrogant bastard," Harry muttered sleepily.

"Good night, Harry," Draco whispered tenderly.

"Hm, good night," Harry murmured back and his eyes dropped close.

Draco smiled and closed his eyes too. If this had already felt so amazing, he couldn't wait to find out how explosive making love would be with Harry.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Meeting with our 'dear' Ginny and a little bonding moment between Draco and Teddy
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 21**

Draco was glowering from his place on their bed, his hands crossed underneath his head. "Harry, can't you just stay home?"

Harry rolled his eyes and pulled a green sweater over his head, ruffling his black hair further. "Draco, stop whining; I promised Ginny I would talk to her and that's what I'm going to do," he answered.

"I still don't trust her," Draco muttered and scowled.

Harry bent down to give him a quick kiss on his mouth. "I know; you have told me that every day for the past week. But seriously Draco, what harm can she possibly do?" he chuckled.

Draco's mouth was set in a thin line and worried wrinkles appeared on his forehead. Weasley could do a lot of harm if she wanted to. He wouldn't put it past her to try and mess with his relationship with Harry; he knew he could trust Harry, but still … It wasn't as if they had been dating for long. Still, he had to trust Harry; he would never cheat on him, right?

"Just come back as soon as you can," Draco mumbled.

Harry grinned and said, "Of course". He went to turn around, but Draco caught him with his hand around his neck and proceeded to kiss the living daylights out of him. When Draco was satisfied with how dazed Harry looked, his lips made a path to Harry's soft, tanned neck and selected a spot a little higher than the collar of his sweater and began to suck and bite on it, until a dark bruise came to the surface. Only then did Draco let him go.

Smugly, Draco noticed that the love bite would be visible to everyone who looked at Harry. Now everyone would know that their Saviour was taken.

Harry frowned and his hand flew to his neck, and though he couldn't feel the love bite, of course he knew that it was there. "Draco …" he said disapprovingly.

The other man shrugged. "What?"

Harry sighed and shook his head, but didn't bother to answer. "I'll see you later," he said and turned around.

"All right," Draco smiled.

Harry smiled back fleetingly before he left the room.

Draco sighed and stared at the ceiling, biting his lower lip – it was a childhood habit of his that he had never grown out of. All he had to do was trust Harry; easier said than done unfortunately.

* * *

Teddy looked up from the blocks that he was sharing with Scorpius. Scorpius had asked him shyly if he wanted to play with the blocks again and because Teddy had finished his homework and had nothing else to do, he had agreed.

"What is it, dad?" he asked curiously. He noticed a dark spot on his dad's neck and wondered whether he had gotten hurt.

His dad smiled at him. "I'm going to meet Ginny to talk with her. Do you want to come with me?" he offered.

Teddy tensed and he clenched his hands in his trousers. Ginny wanted to talk with his dad? Why? They hadn't heard from her for years after his dad had broken up with her – why was this time any different? He didn't like it. He had never liked that woman and he certainly didn't like her now. She had hurt his dad; that was something he couldn't forgive. And now she thought she could just weasel her way back into their lives? She was wrong; Teddy would never accept her back in his life and for that matter neither in his dad's life. If she persisted in trying to worm her way back into their lives, Teddy would just have to show her that she wasn't welcome. But he would only do that once he was sure about her motives.

"Eh, no, thanks. I want to play with Scorpius a bit more," Teddy answered softly.

Dad beamed and came over to hug him. "That's my good boy. I'll see you later, sweetie," he smiled and kissed his forehead.

He turned around when he felt little hands tugging on his sweater and saw Scorpius standing behind him, his arms stretched out. Harry chuckled and hugged the little boy too.

"Where are you going, daddy?" Scorpius asked curiously, wanting to know where his daddy was going to now, and nuzzled his head in the warm sweater.

"I'm going to meet with an old … friend of mine," Harry replied hesitatingly.

"Oh, is that friend nice?"

"Hmm," said Harry, who thought it was best to be as vague as possible with that particular question.

"When are you coming back?" Scorpius continued to ask and leaned his head back to look in Harry's eyes.

"I think in the afternoon."

"Okay, daddy," Scorpius grinned and gave him a sweet kiss on his cheek.

Harry chuckled and stood up. "I'll see you two later. Behave and be good boys, okay?"

Both boys nodded and Harry waved before closing the door behind him.

* * *

Ginny had agreed to meet him at a small pub in Diagon Alley to have their chat. To be honest, Harry was a bit nervous about meeting her. Save for their short encounter on Halloween, they hadn't spoken to each other in years and Harry wondered how awkward the upcoming meeting would be.

With a relieved sigh, Harry entered the warm pub. He was shivering from the cold despite his winter jacket. He made his way to a small table in a secluded corner and rubbed his hands together to warm them up.

He shrugged off his jacket, but kept his scarf on; he was a bit annoyed that Draco had left a love bite. He didn't have anything against love bites in general, as long as it was done in a moment of passion. That wasn't the case for this love bite. Why Draco had felt the need to mark him, he couldn't understand; it was probably to show everyone that Harry was off limits, but he didn't understand why Draco had done this now of all times when he had never bothered to before.

_Or_ , Harry suddenly thought, _was this about Ginny?_

If this was indeed about Ginny, then Harry couldn't help but be irritated at the lack of trust. Did Draco really think he would cheat on him? He scowled; he couldn't decide whether to be angry at Draco for his lack of trust or soothe him and assure him that he wouldn't cheat on him.

Luckily for him (and probably luckily for Draco too) he was saved from trying to make a decision, because Ginny had arrived.

Her dark brown coat reached her jean clad legs and a brown scarf hid the lower half of her face. Her long, red hair was in curls and cascaded down her back. She placed a white bag on the floor and first took off her scarf before removing her coat too. She was wearing a black sweater that showed off her curves. The harsh, cold wind had made her cheeks and nose red, but her light brown eyes sparkled when she smiled at Harry.

"Good morning, Harry," she said and sat down.

"Hello Ginny," Harry greeted her back.

Before Ginny could say something, a dark haired waiter appeared at their table.

"Are you ready to order?" the man asked cheerfully, already having a little notebook ready to take their order.

"A coffee with milk and sugar, please," Harry replied.

"I'll take hot chocolate with whipped cream," Ginny smiled.

"Certainly; I'll bring your order right away." The waiter smiled and went to place their order before attending to the other customers

"Did you bring Teddy here as well?" Ginny asked curiously, her eyes scanning the pub as if she expected to see the boy come running to them.

Harry shook his head. "No, Teddy wanted to play a while more with Scorpius."

"Scorpius?" she asked confused.

"Draco's son."

"Oh." Ginny blinked and something flashed in her eyes, but it was gone immediately. She smiled again and took her bag. "Well, I bought a book for him and for Scorpius; I thought they would like that," she said and handed over two books.

The book for Teddy was about magical creatures who lived in their own closed off world and the book for Scorpius was about a knight and a dragon. Harry noticed, amused, that despite the fact that Ginny didn't know Scorpius, she had picked out the right book for him.

"Thank you, I'm sure they will love the books," Harry smiled and put them on the table for the time being.

Ginny grinned. "Oh good, I wasn't sure whether I had chosen the right books," she said relieved.

"Don't worry, they will love the books," Harry reassured her.

The waiter appeared again with their order and he placed the mugs carefully on the table, in order not to spill anything. "Enjoy your drinks," the waiter smiled.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled.

"So, eh, what should we talk about first?" Ginny asked nervously and gripped her mug tightly.

Harry sighed and couldn't help but tense a bit. This would be the hardest part. "Well, I don't want to offend you, Ginny, but I just have to make sure you really want to be friends again and only friends. Nothing more," he added when he saw her opening her mouth. He probably sounded harsh, but he didn't want to give Ginny false hope. He was together with Draco now and he wouldn't leave him for her.

She raised her hands a bit in the air. "I know that, Harry. I don't want to come between you and Malfoy; I just want to be friends again. I swear that's the only thing I want; being friends again. I miss you, Harry; I just want to be able to talk to you again," she said softly and bit her lower lip. "I can't say how sorry I am for hurting you all those years ago; it was the most stupid thing I have ever done and I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, though I still hope you will one day be able to forgive me."

Harry nibbled on his lip and his eyes trailed over the pub, thinking. He hesitated long, having difficulties with making up his mind. Finally he sighed and looked at Ginny again.

"It will be a while before I'll be able to forgive you, but I'm willing to give you a chance," he muttered.

Ginny beamed and her eyes were sparkling with happiness. "Oh, thank you, Harry! I'm so happy you still want to give me a chance! You won't regret it, I swear!"

_Let's hope I don't end up regretting it_ , Harry thought ruefully.

Soon after that, they moved to safer topics and began to talk about their lives after the break up, skating around the painful subjects. It wasn't long until Harry started laughing with some of the stories Ginny told him.

* * *

Ginny meanwhile had the time of her life; here she was with Harry and he was willingly talking to her and even laughing! It had turned out better than she had dared to hope. She was confident that it wouldn't be long before she had wormed her way back into Harry's heart and when that moment arrived, Malfoy could better appreciate the time he had left with Harry, because Harry would leave him soon enough for her. Though she couldn't help but narrow her eyes when she suddenly caught sight of a purple bruise on Harry's neck when he had pulled down the scarf to rub his neck. It had taken all her control to not bite out something harsh, lest she lose her chance with Harry. That filthy, sneaky, slimy asshole thought he could do anything he wanted with her Harry.

_Although_ , Ginny mused when Harry sipped from his coffee with laughter still in his eyes, _if Harry wanted to let everyone know he was unavailable he would have showed off the love bite, not covered it with a scarf._ She smirked inwardly; the playground was even now. As long as Harry wasn't willing to come out to the world with his relationship, she had a big chance of winning him back. All it would take was time and patience. And of course a little bit of interfering from Ginny herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the manor, Draco was in a very foul mood. He had been moody ever since Harry had left to go see that wench.

He still couldn't understand why Harry had decided to give that bitch another chance. Of course he had never understood what exactly had attracted Harry to those Weasleys. They were poor, unmannered, had betrayed the Purebloods and they were generally idiots. Ron Weasley, especially, had excelled in the department of stupidity.

Draco shook his head and tapped his fingers on the table. He had tried to complete some work, but his thoughts had always strayed back to Harry. He knew he should trust Harry; he wasn't someone who would cheat, but he couldn't help but feel worried. After all, Harry had been attracted to girls before he had decided to give Draco a chance. Who said he couldn't decide that girls were better for him than Draco?

Alright, so this trail of thoughts wasn't helping him.

He sighed, raked a hand through his hair and stood up. He decided to search out Teddy and Scorpius. Who knew, maybe they would manage to keep his mind off of Harry for a while before he went crazy and decided to shadow Harry. He didn't think Harry would appreciate that.

He found the boys in one of the three playrooms. Scorpius was colouring a dragon while Teddy was browsing through what looked like a photo album.

Draco walked softly over to the chair where Teddy was curled up and looked over his shoulder.

One page had a photo of a brown haired man (Draco recognized him as his former professor Lupin) who had his arms around a pink haired lady. Draco vaguely remembered her as his cousin. His mother had never gotten along very well with his Aunt Andromeda; neither with his Aunt Bellatrix for that matter, but Draco supposed there were very few people who could get along with his crazy, now dead, aunt.

The couple on the page, they were Teddy's parents.

The other page showed Harry who had a younger, laughing Teddy on his lap. Harry was grinning in the photo and he appeared to be tickling the boy. Underneath it, Teddy had written in large letters: PRONGSLET AND ME.

Draco's curiosity was piqued again when he saw the word 'Prongslet'. He had heard Teddy referring to Harry like that in the beginning, before the boy had switched over to 'dad'. He had never understood why the boy had called his godfather 'Prongslet', but he had always forgotten to ask about it.

"Teddy, would you mind telling me why you called Harry 'Prongslet' sometimes?" Draco asked curiously.

Teddy looked up, surprised, before looking down at the picture again. He caressed the moving photo with his fingers. "I call dad that, because we're the last Marauders," he answered softly.

"The Marauders?" Draco asked confused.

"My father, dad's father and godfather called themselves the Marauders when they were at Hogwarts. Dad told me they played various pranks and were very popular in school. My father was named 'Moony', dad's godfather was 'Padfoot' and dad's father was 'Prongs'." Teddy shrugged. "Dad called me 'Moonlet' sometimes and when I learned the nickname of his father, I decided that if I was 'Moonlet', he was 'Prongslet'."

"Child of Prongs," Draco realized.

Teddy nodded.

Draco looked over to his son and saw that he was still colouring very attentively; his little pink tongue stuck out of his mouth in concentration and Draco chuckled at that softly.

"Would you… Would you like to look at the photos with me?" Teddy suddenly asked shyly.

Draco looked down in surprise when he heard the question. He hadn't spent much time with Teddy, but that was because he was either busy with his son or Harry, and Teddy seemed to prefer Harry's presence, which was understandable of course. Still, if he wanted to include Harry in his family, he could start by bonding with Teddy. After all, he would need Teddy's permission if he wanted to marry his dad.

Draco chuckled. "Scoot over, will you? I don't plan on standing the whole time."

Teddy's eyes lit up and he scooted hastily out of the way. Draco sat down next to him and Teddy started talking about all the people in the pictures, while showing each and every one of them. After a while, Scorpius joined them too by sitting on his papa's lap.

* * *

That's how Harry found them when he came back in the afternoon after having promised Ginny he would talk to her again soon. All three were curled up together on the couch, sleeping. Draco had his arms around both the boys. Scorpius was resting with his head on his papa's shoulder while Teddy had fallen asleep against his side.

Harry smiled tenderly at the scene and softly placed his bag down before making his way over to the couch, carefully enlarging it while making sure the occupants didn't wake up. After the couch was enlarged enough, he softly sat down and curled up against the others. He might as well rest too, because he didn't have the heart to wake them up.

With a soft smile, Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: implied lime - never wrote it in explicit form
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 22**

When Draco opened his eyes, he noticed that it had already gone dark; a house elf had made a fire in the fireplace and had placed a blanket over them. The warmth of the blanket and the crackling sound of the fire were soothing and he was tempted to close his eyes again.

He was startled a bit when something hit his outstretched arm softly. He looked to his side and was surprised to see Harry sleeping with his head against his arm. He had wrapped his arms around the boys between them.

Draco smiled tenderly and stroked softly through the black, unruly hair that felt like silk. A strange feeling, considering the hair looked rough.

Harry stirred and Draco retracted his hand to avoid waking him up, but it was already too late. Eyelids fluttered until they opened to reveal emerald green eyes that were for the moment fogged over with sleep.

"Draco?" Harry murmured and blinked.

"The one and only," Draco chuckled softly.

Harry looked around blearily. "I didn't mean to fall asleep," he groaned and yawned.

"Well, it happened. When did you arrive home?" Draco asked softly, making sure the boys weren't disturbed.

Harry frowned and took his glasses off to rub his eyes before placing them back. "Hmm, that would have been around three, I think."

"Three o'clock, huh?" Draco muttered, not liking the fact that Harry had talked so long with the witch. "Did you have a nice chat?" he asked in a controlled voice.

Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you asking this because you're really curious or just to check that I haven't done anything wrong?"

Draco scowled. "Harry, I'm trying to be a good sport about this, don't push it."

"You're trying to be a good sport about this?" Harry snorted. "That's rich. Since that letter arrived, you have done nothing but whine and complain about Ginny. That's not being a good sport about it, Draco."

Draco sat up, narrowing his eyes. "Well, I'm sorry that I'm just concerned about you. I don't want you to get hurt again when that bitch tries something," he hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

"Ginny apologized many times, Draco. What more does she have to do?"

"Stay out of our lives," Draco bit out.

"Stay out of _our_ lives? Or stay out of _your_ life?" Harry asked coldly and stood up.

Draco grabbed his wrist. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just going to take a shower," Harry sighed and tugged until Draco released him.

Draco watched him leave the room with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out if they had just had a fight or if everything was okay between them.

"Did you and dad have a fight, Draco?" Teddy's soft, uncertain voice startled him.

He looked down into worried, brown – green eyes and sighed. "I'm not sure, Teddy," he murmured.

"For what it is worth, I don't like her either," Teddy replied softly and sat up.

"Oh and why's that?"

"She hurt dad." Teddy's eyes flashed in anger. "She doesn't deserve another chance," he added in a cold tone.

Draco looked back at the door. "Your dad's just too nice sometimes. It's one of his flaws."

Of course, he couldn't really complain about that particular flaw; that flaw had given Draco a chance to prove himself. But unlike Weasley, he had no ulterior motive besides loving Harry. He would stop her if she went too far. That was something she could count on.

"Do you want me to talk to dad and see if he's angry at you?" Teddy asked.

"Sure, but why would you do that?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

Teddy shrugged and climbed off the couch. "You make dad happy. I don't want you to break up because of her."

While Draco was still in a slight shock after hearing that, Teddy had walked out of the room in search of his dad.

"I wonder if Harry will say I corrupted his godson," Draco muttered wryly and shook his head.

* * *

Teddy padded softly to his dad's room, knocking on the door before entering it. His dad was just putting on a blue sweater and then continued to rub his hair dry. He looked up when the door opened and smiled.

"Hey Teddy; I see you woke up," he chuckled.

Teddy nodded and climbed on the bed, looking at Harry intently. "Did you and Draco have a fight?" he blurted out, not beating around the bush.

Harry stilled and slowly put the towel down on his chair. "Why do you think that?" he asked carefully.

"It sounded like you had an argument." Teddy bit his lip. "You're not going to break up with him, are you?"

Harry snorted and shook his head. "Teddy, just because he and I had a small argument, doesn't mean we will immediately break up. Everyone has arguments once in a while, though I can safely say we will argue a lot more," he replied dryly.

Teddy looked satisfied. "Good, because I like Draco."

"You do, huh?" Harry chuckled. "That's good to hear." He sat down next to his godson and hugged him with one arm. His eyes caught on his bag on the floor and he remembered Ginny's gifts for the boys. "That's right; I almost forgot about them," he mumbled and stood up to get the books. "Here, Teddy, this one is for you."

Teddy looked up curiously and studied the book. It was a book about magical creatures; a subject he quite liked to read about. He opened the book and looked at the pictures of various magical creatures: a unicorn, a dragon, a magical serpent, a phoenix … There was even a sphinx.

"Did you buy this book for me, dad?" Teddy asked excitedly.

Harry shook his head, smiling. "No, Ginny bought that one for you."

Teddy stiffened and he closed the book. Ginny had never bothered before to buy him anything. She had even dared to ignore his birthday when she was still going out with his dad, claiming she hadn't had enough money to buy him something. Of course, she still had enough money to buy scanty clothes which she thought his dad would like. What had she been thinking when she had bought this? That if she got something for him, he would let her get together with his dad? Teddy wasn't stupid – he recognized manipulation when he saw it. And this book stank of manipulation. She thought she could win him over with one book. Well, she thought wrong.

"Teddy, don't you like it?" Harry asked with a frown when he saw the displeased look on his face. He didn't understand what the problem was; Teddy had always liked this kind of books.

Teddy shrugged. "I just kind of outgrew this sort of books."

"Oh? Really?" Harry asked, surprised. "What do you like to read then?"

Hmm, well that lie had slipped out very easily. Although technically, he didn't really lie; he still read this type of books, he just liked another genre more right now. Teddy blushed and murmured, "Romantic stories, fairy tales."

Harry blinked with surprise. "Well, now I know which kind of books I will have to buy for you for Christmas," he chuckled. "Hmm, Teddy, could you also give this book to Scorpius? Ginny bought one for him too, but I need to check something right now, so could you give this to him?"

Teddy bit his lip, but nodded.

Harry ruffled his hair and handed over the book.

Teddy took the book and jumped off the bed. He opened the door and almost walked right into Draco. "Oh, Draco, sorry, I didn't know you were there," Teddy apologized.

Draco gave a strained smile. "It's nothing. I just need to talk with your dad."

Teddy looked between the two adults. He could feel the tension hanging between them in the air and decided it was a good time to leave. "Right, I'm going to find Scorpius."

"He's in his room," Draco informed him and Teddy nodded before running to the other boy's room.

Harry tensed a bit when Draco closed the door behind him and he crossed his arms and shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

"All right, I'm sorry if I made you angry, but Harry, you can't possibly expect me to just be friendly to Weasley and accept her into our life, not when I know how she treated you," Draco said softly. "I don't want you to get hurt, Harry."

Harry bit his lower lip and avoided the grey eyes that were looking at him intensely.

Draco hesitated; not knowing if it was the right time to say this or if it was too soon and he would chase Harry away with his admission. Finally he decided to just gather his courage and said: "And I'm afraid to lose you," he whispered.

Shocked green eyes shot up to meet him and looked at him incredulously. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, I'm afraid to lose you," Draco repeated, a little uncomfortably. Confessing a weakness was something that a Malfoy never did, but in this case he would rather risk losing his pride than losing Harry to a filthy slut.

In a few steps, Harry was standing in front of Draco and embraced him tightly; putting his head against the strong chest and hearing the strong but slightly erratic heartbeat. "Draco, you moron, you won't lose me. How on earth would you lose me?" he murmured.

Draco sighed and slid his arms around Harry's waist, relishing in the comfortable warmth Harry's body produced. "I don't want to lose you to Weasley," he whispered, ashamed to admit it.

Harry stilled in his arms and Draco was afraid he had said too much. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going to leave you? Ginny is in my past; even if she tried, I wouldn't go back to her," he finally replied seriously and looked in hopeful, grey eyes. "She means nothing to me, expect maybe as a distant friend. I decided to give her a chance to see if she's changed, but if you're really this uncomfortable about me meeting Ginny, then I'll keep the meetings to a minimum, okay? If you want, I'll even take you with me when I meet her, so you can be sure she doesn't try anything."

At first, Draco thought Harry was mocking him when he made that suggestion, but one look into his sincere, green eyes told him that the other man was serious when he made that suggestion to him.

"You don't have to do that; I trust you," Draco mumbled, slightly embarrassed. He didn't want Harry to think he wanted to control him.

"But you don't trust Ginny right?" Harry asked.

Draco hesitated, but shook his head. It would be stupid to lie now, after he had expressed his fears and his dislike of the Weasley girl.

"Well then, you can go with me when I meet her. If you're with me, she won't try anything," Harry reassured him.

"So, you're not angry at me?" Draco asked hopefully.

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm not angry. I … understand why you don't like Ginny; I just want you to trust me."

"I do trust you," Draco insisted.

"Well, then it's all right," Harry smiled and kissed Draco softly. He wanted to retreat, but Draco didn't let him.

He grabbed Harry's neck and held him in place while smirking. "You know what the best part of fighting is? The part that comes after it; the make - up part," he grinned.

"But we didn't really fight," Harry said with a chuckle, while his eyes started to sparkle mischievously.

"Details, details…" Draco whispered, before guiding Harry to the bed and coaxing him to lie down before starting to kiss him again, begging for entrance which Harry allowed him immediately.

Hands began roaming over heated bodies and lips found their way all over their bodies and soon they began bucking their hips against each other.

Harry had one last coherent thought and grabbed for his wand to lock his door, not fancying any of the boys intruding on them before wrapping his arms around Draco's neck and bringing him even closer to him; a feat that was nearly impossible.

* * *

Teddy bit his lip and hastily made his way to Scorpius' room. He didn't want the boy to be manipulated by that woman. He knew that if Scorpius received this present, he would think that Ginny was nice and he would refuse to see how awful she really was. But he couldn't hide the book either, because his dad would probably ask Scorpius what he thought of the book. What to do now? How could he convince the blond boy never to trust Ginny and to see through her manipulation?

A tiny smirk made his way over his face when an idea popped up in his head. There was only one way to convince Scorpius that Ginny couldn't be trusted.

He arrived at the closed door and knocked quickly.

"Come in!" Scorpius yelled, but he still sounded sleepy.

Teddy entered the room and closed the door behind him before turning to face Scorpius who was sitting upright in his bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Teddy?" Scorpius muttered and blinked.

Teddy crossed the space and plopped down on the bed, placing the book on his lap.

Scorpius' light grey eyes widened when he saw the picture of a dragon on the cover and reached out for the book. "May I read that, Teddy?" he asked shyly, wondering if the boy would mind lending his book to him.

Teddy grabbed the small hands reaching out for the book and startled grey eyes looked at him with worry, the boy in question afraid that he had made his new brother mad.

"Before you can read the book, I have something to tell you," Teddy said urgently.

Scorpius cocked his head and nodded slowly.

"You know the person who dad was going to see today?"

Scorpius nodded again.

"Well, her name is Ginny and she's the lady that hurt dad. You know that we told you about that lady the night we ate here for the first time, don't you?" Teddy asked, not sure if Scorpius would remember what they had talked about on that evening; it had been a while after all.

Light grey eyes narrowed. "Yes, it was a very mean lady."

Teddy nodded. "Exactly; now she's trying to win dad back. She wants to get my dad away from your dad."

"She can't do that! Papa has to marry daddy and then they get a little brother for us," Scorpius protested vehemently.

Teddy frowned momentarily when Scorpius brought up the subject of another baby again, but deemed it not important enough to argue about it now. "But if that lady manages to convince dad she's better, then my dad will leave your dad," he said seriously.

Scorpius' lower lip trembled and he began to wring his hands. "But that isn't right. Daddy has to stay here with papa."

"I know, I know," Teddy said hastily, hoping to avoid a tantrum. He really didn't want to explain to his dad and Draco exactly why Scorpius was crying. "But you see, if we manage to let dad see how mean that lady really is, he will make sure that this mean lady leaves us alone forever."

Scorpius nodded rapidly and bounced up and down on his bed. "How do we do that, Teddy?"

Teddy smirked. "I'll tell you what we will do when we meet her. But you have to promise me you won't say anything about this to your father or dad, because they will stop us then. Dad still thinks she's nice, so we have to be careful until we can show dad how she really is, understood?"

Scorpius nodded, his head bobbing up and down rapidly; his grey eyes glittering.

"Do you promise?" Teddy said to make sure the other boy wouldn't let something slip.

"I promise, Teddy, I won't say anything," Scorpius said hastily.

Teddy smiled, satisfied. "Good. Here, you can read this book now," he said and handed over the book.

Scorpius squealed and hugged the book to his chest, letting Teddy stare at him with a bemused look.

"Teddy, would you mind reading this for me?" Scorpius asked shyly, staring at his purple sheets.

He heard the other boy sigh and prepared himself for a rejection, when a hand, slightly bigger than his came into his sight and took the book.

"All right then, I'll read to you until dinner is ready," Teddy mumbled and settled himself against the headboard of the bed.

Scorpius looked up immediately and a big smile appeared on his face. After hesitating a few seconds, he snuggled against Teddy's side, ready for the story to begin.

Teddy tensed at first, but then tentatively embraced the boy with one arm and opened the book to begin reading.

At first Scorpius was surprised to be hugged by his brother, but then he smiled happily and snuggled even further into his brother's side, listening attentively to the story.

* * *

"Something particular you want for Christmas?" Draco asked when they were trying to catch their breath again.

Harry, who still had flushed cheeks, replied, "I don't know; anything will do." He shrugged. "You don't have to buy anything."

Draco frowned and nuzzled the tanned neck. "We're together now; I want to buy you a present," he murmured.

"Well, I don't know what you can buy," Harry sighed and raked his fingers through the wild, blond hair, courtesy of his hands running through it earlier.

"Why do you have to be so damn difficult?" Draco groaned.

"I don't remember you saying that earlier," Harry smirked.

Draco grinned. "No, then you were being very …"

A hand on his groin stilled him. "If you finish that sentence, Draco, things can start to get real painful there," Harry threatened with a sweet smile.

"You're mean to me, Harry," Draco pouted.

"Grow up, you big baby." Harry rolled his eyes.

The sudden appearance of a smirk on the blond's face made him wary.

"Oh, I'm definitely grown up. Shall I show you how grown up I am, Harry?" Draco purred and shifted such that his body covered Harry's.

Harry gulped when hot lips made their way down his chest, lower and lower until all he could remember was everything hot and wet. Very hot and very wet. Tanned hands found their way in to blond hair and tightened in it while Draco was smirking around his mouthful.

He doubted Harry would ever call him a big baby again. And if he did, well then, he would just have to show him what happened when he said that.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: eh, nothing special for this chapter
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 23**

Frustrated, annoyed, panicking … Were a few words that could best describe the state Draco was in now. He had only three weeks left until Christmas and he still hadn't found a suitable present for Harry. He had gotten gifts for Severus, for his son and even Teddy, but his mind went blank when he tried to think of a good present for Harry. It had to be something special, but not something extravagant, because then Harry would surely complain. It would have to convey his feelings for Harry perfectly, without scaring him off.

Draco sighed frustrated and banged his fist on his desk, causing him to start cursing and nursing his now painful hand.

Note to self, don't bang hand against hard desk.

His gaze was caught by the presents waiting in a pile, stuffed in one of his bookcases. Luckily for him, Scorpius never came here, because he claimed it was too boring here, which made this room the perfect place to hide his gifts. For a few seconds his eyes lingered on the smallest package, wrapped in silver paper, tied with a blue bow. It contained a silver necklace with a pendant of a small dragon. That particular gift was for his mother. He had hesitated for a long time if he should buy his mother a gift or not, but ultimately decided to buy one. She still was his mother and he loved her, even though she had made a few mistakes with trusting his father and letting him go too far. He would send her the gift a couple of days before Christmas.

His fingers started to tap on the desk, while his mind was busy trying to think of something to give Harry. If only Harry had been specific about what he wanted! But no, he just had to say that it didn't matter what Draco got.

"Stubborn idiot," Draco muttered darkly. He didn't have that much time left and he was getting nervous.

He looked up when he heard Scorpius and Teddy running past his room with Severus behind them, shouting "If you don't calm down immediately, you're going to regret it!"

"We're sorry, sir," Teddy apologized.

Suddenly an idea entered Draco's mind and he thoughtfully gazed at the closed door. Why hadn't he thought of that before? It was simple.

Draco smirked and stood up. If Harry didn't want to corporate with him, he just had to find someone else who could help him.

* * *

Harry came out of the shop with a devious smirk on his face. He had bought Scorpius' gift today and he couldn't wait to see the little boy's reaction – or Draco's for that matter.

He chuckled; Draco would probably kill him for this gift. Especially when he would tell Scorpius why he had bought this particular gift.

He checked his mental list of gifts; he had bought Scorpius' gifts and the gifts for Teddy too. He had also gotten something for Andromeda and something for George as well. Now he had to find something for Draco – and for Snape. Harry frowned and brought the box closer to his chest. He honestly didn't have any clue as to what he could buy for Draco or Snape. Maybe he could get something related to potions for Snape? It was after all something the man lived for. But what could he possibly buy for the man? A book? Or ingredients? And Draco; what would Draco want? He bit on his lip and narrowly avoided walking into someone. He wanted to buy something special for Draco, but the question was, what did you buy for someone who was rich enough to buy everything he wanted?

Harry sighed; his breath coming out in white little clouds. Maybe he should take Scorpius with him to shop for Draco's present. Who knew? Maybe the little boy could help him.

He had hesitated whether he should buy something for Ginny too, but after imagining Draco's reaction, he had decided to just send a card and nothing more. He didn't want to spend Christmas fighting over something as trivial as a gift.

He entered a bookshop and browsed through the shelves, hoping to find more information about his possible job. Before he applied for the job, he wanted to read more about it so he could decide if it would be interesting enough for him.

He had just found three interesting looking books when he heard his name called. He blinked and turned around to see William Burns walking to him with a grim smile on his face. William had been a colleague of him; he had worked a couple of times with him on a case and had been impressed with the efficient way of working William had.

"Hello William," Harry smiled and raised an eyebrow when he saw how serious William looked.

"Hi, Harry. I'm surprised to see you here," William smiled, but it seemed strained. He noticed the titles of the books. He blinked. "Medicine and their Magical Cures? I didn't know you were interested in medicine?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, I thought I would make a change and apply for Mediwizard," he murmured and tightened his grip on his books.

"I'm sure you will be good at it," William smiled.

"I hope so," Harry smiled faintly.

"Did you already apply for the job?"

"No, I'm going to read these books first and maybe then I will apply."

William nodded.

Harry studied his tense posture and frowned. "Is there something else, William?"

William sighed and ranked a hand through his auburn brown hair, his brown eyes looking concerned; he placed a bag on the floor. "Listen, I know you're not an Auror anymore and Kingsley will have my head if he knows what I'm doing now, but I thought you would like to know this. Two other victims died this week."

Harry tensed.

"The only good thing is that there are no other victims, so this means that the murderer has stopped. But of course this means we're even in deeper shit than before. Although there is one thing that maybe would help the investigation." William bent down and retrieved a vial with a dark fluid in it. He showed it to Harry. "A couple of days ago, a woman came to us with this. She said she had been talking to a guy while waiting for her drink, but when she came back from the bathroom the guy had disappeared. When she wanted to take a sip of her drink, she remembered the murderer and she thought it would be best to test her drink." William nodded to the vial. "It was indeed poisoned. She brought her drink to her home and managed to extract the poison from the drink and brought it to us."

"Wait, are you telling me that this is a full bottle of the poison?" Harry asked interested and surprised.

William nodded. "Yes. Surprising isn't it? Never thought that the murderer would slip up. Guess we got lucky that he slipped up this time."

"Could the woman give a description of the guy?" Against knowing better, Harry got interested in the case again. He had thought that after resigning from his job, there was no way he would ever get any more information about the murderer.

"Only a bit. The pub where they had met, was a bit dark so the features were hazy. She said that the guy was of a fairly normal build, not too big and not too small. He had dirty blond hair and was rather slender. She couldn't tell more."

"That's too bad, it would have been easier if she had given a better description. That way the public could have been warned," Harry replied disappointed. There were many people with dirty blond hair and a slender build.

"Actually, could I ask you a favor?" William asked uncertainly.

Harry looked up surprised. "Yeah, sure."

"I heard you know a decent Potions master who discovered three possible ingredients; do you think he could work better if he had more poison?" William asked nervously.

Harry blinked, thinking about Snape. It had been rather awkward asking that man for help the first time; he wondered if Snape would kill him if he asked a second time. Oh well, if Snape tried something, he was sure he had Draco to rescue him.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, sure, I can ask him."

William sighed relieved. "Thanks, Harry. I'm sorry I had to bother you with this here, but I didn't know where you live now. Of course if you don't want to help anymore, I completely understand it."

Harry waved his concern away. "Don't be stupid. I'm rather eager to have that son of a bitch locked up."

"I think we all are, Harry," William sighed and handed over the vial.

"I'll let you know immediately if he discovers something else."

"Thanks. I'll see you later and well, an early happy Christmas, Harry," William smiled and waved.

Harry chuckled. "An early happy Christmas to you too."

He paid for his books and then walked out of the shop. He abruptly stopped in front of the Apothecary. He had now a full vial of poison. That meant there was more poison for Snape to experiment with. Snape had given him three possibilities; what if Snape could make an antidote if he had the poison and the three ingredients?

Harry bit on his lower lip and immediately dashed into a dark alley to Apparate to Snape's manor. He was probably risking a lot, going to Snape without any warning, but he would deal with Snape's anger when he arrived there. This was too important to wait a couple of days. He concentrated on the vision of Snape's front garden and Apparated away.

* * *

Severus looked up with a frown when he felt his wards being breached. He put his book down and stood up. Who would visit him now? It didn't feel like Draco. Besides Draco knew better than to visit him unexpectedly.

He glared when he heard the frantic knocking and stormed to his door. He ripped the door open and glared. "What do you want?" He was surprised to see Potter standing on his porch, looking hazard.

"Sir! I need your help!" Potter said urgently.

Severus raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Why do you need my help now, Potter?"

"Do you think you could find an antidote to the poison if you have more of the poison and if you had those three rare ingredients?" Potter asked hastily.

Severus stared at him. "Potter, I know this is difficult for you to comprehend, but the fact is that even if I had more poison, I wouldn't be able to produce an antidote, because those ingredients are very rare and very expensive," he growled.

"But sir, I do have more poison!" Potter insisted and showed him a dark vial with the poison swishing it.

"How did you get that? Did you get in trouble again?" Severus snapped and grabbed the vial, lifting it in the air, studying it.

Potter sighed annoyed. "No, I didn't get in trouble, a former coworker gave it to me."

"I could have done more with this, but as you can see, I don't have the ingredients," Severus replied sarcastically and glanced at the boy in front of him – never mind that Potter was already twenty – six and far from a boy anymore.

"But I can pay for the ingredients!" Potter suggested, his green eyes shining excitedly. "I have the vaults of the Potters and of the Blacks. There's got to be enough money in it to buy the stuff."

Severus glared and grabbed Potter's arm, pushing him into his house. He slammed the door close and pinched his nose. "Potter, when you quit your job, it was with the purpose not to involve yourself with that dangerous case anymore. Are you really that stupid? Or just stubborn?"

Potter crossed his arms. "What's the problem? It's not like I'm hunting down the murderer," he huffed.

"Why would you spend your money on something you're not even working on anymore?" Severus asked confused.

"I just want that bastard locked up. Besides, you're the only one who would be able to create an antidote," Potter replied, his face earnest.

"My, you must be really desperate if you're willing to compliment me," Severus sneered.

"Will you help me or not?" Potter asked annoyed.

"How are you going to get those ingredients? They don't sell it here," Severus pointed out.

Potter stilled and a blush appeared on his cheeks.

"You haven't thought of that, have you?" Severus realized smugly.

Potter glared at him. "I would have thought of that! I just didn't think of it now," he murmured.

Severus snorted and shook his head.

"Do you know where we can find those ingredients?"

Severus stared at him and sighed. Draco would hate him for this. "Yes, I know. You're not a Potions Master if you don't know where to find certain … ingredients."

Potter ignored the slight pause when he spoke and replied, "Well then, where can I find them?"

Severus sighed and rubbed his temples. He felt a migraine coming up. "I suggest we will go over this tomorrow." When he saw Potter ready to protest, he continued, "I'm certain Draco will be waiting for you at the manor. If you keep him waiting any longer, he will send a search party."

Potter laughed, but stopped abruptly when Severus remained stoic.

"Wait, he seriously would send a search party?" he asked incredulously.

"We're talking about a Malfoy here, Potter, they're insanely possessive. I'm surprised he let you go out alone," Severus snorted.

Potter smiled faintly.

"He doesn't know where you went, does he?" Severus sighed and shook his head.

"Well, it's not like I got in trouble or anything. I think I will go to the manor now," Potter said hastily and turned around. Before he left, he turned around to face Severus. "So, we will talk about the ingredients tomorrow?" he asked uncertainly.

"I'll come to the manor at ten a.m.," Severus answered curtly.

Potter seemed to hesitate.

"What now Potter?" Severus sighed for the umpteenth time that evening.

"Thank you for helping me, sir," Potter murmured before leaving through the door and Apparating just outside the wards.

Severus blinked and snorted. Potter would never cease to amaze him. He placed the vial in a drawer and settled back in his chair, picking up his book again.

* * *

Draco found Teddy sitting in the living room, reading a book while watching Scorpius drawing.

"Teddy, can I ask you something?" Draco sat down next to the boy.

Teddy looked up surprised. "Okay."

"Do you know what I can buy for your dad? I've ranked my brain trying to find something but I've come up with nothing," Draco sighed frustrated.

Teddy blinked and closed his book. "Dad never knows what he wants as a present," he replied.

"Why not?"

Teddy shrugged. "I don't know, but grandmother says it has to do something with his family when he was a kid."

"Hm," Draco sighed.

"Maybe you can find something when you go shopping?" Teddy suggested.

"Maybe. You're going shopping with me tomorrow," Draco said firmly.

"Eh, but what if dad asks where we're going?" Teddy asked uncertainly.

"I'll figure something out tomorrow," Draco promised and absently ruffled Teddy's hair.

Teddy blushed and opened his book again.

"Draco? Teddy? Scorpius? Where are you?" suddenly Harry's voice yelled from the hallway.

"We're in the living room," Draco shouted back.

Harry appeared in the doorway, clutching some bags in his one hand and a box pressed against his chest.

Draco narrowed his eyes when he saw some holes in the box. "What's in the box, Harry?" he asked nonchalantly.

A smirk appeared on Harry's face. "Nothing special. Don't worry about it. I'm going to put these bags away," he replied and walked up the stairs.

"That's exactly what makes me worried," Draco muttered darkly.

* * *

The next day, Harry looked up surprised when he saw Draco, Teddy and Scorpius wearing their coats and scarves.

"Where are you all going?" Harry asked surprised.

"I'm taking Teddy and Scorpius out for shopping," Draco smirked and gave him a kiss. "It's time they learn how to go shopping for real." He winked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course, Draco. Boys, have fun," he smiled at them.

"We will, daddy," Scorpius chirped and hugged Harry.

Harry hugged back. "Don't tire them out, Draco," he snickered.

Draco huffed. "I won't," he smirked and kissed Harry again.

After their last kiss, Draco disappeared with the two boys to Diagon Alley.

* * *

Harry had just finished his second cup of coffee and had taken a shower when Snape arrived exactly at ten a.m.

"Good morning sir," Harry greeted him.

"Good morning, Potter." Snape nodded curtly. He looked around with a raised eyebrow. "Where are Draco and the brats?"

Harry shrugged. "They've gone out shopping."

"Hm. Well, do you still want to spend your money on rare, _expensive_ potion ingredients?" Snape asked, stressing the word 'expensive'.

Harry nodded determined. "Of course; how else will we catch that bastard?"

Snape sat down at the table and gestured for Harry to sit down too.

Harry, slightly miffed that he had to get permission from Snape to sit down, grabbed another cup of coffee and after hesitating for a few seconds, slid a cup with coffee to Snape as well.

Snape raised an eyebrow, but accepted the cup.

"So, where do we start searching for those ingredients?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well, I have some contacts left from the war who could supply me with the ingredients we need," Snape replied calmly.

"Thus, we need the poison of a snake, a stone and the poison of an octopus," Harry summed up.

"Roughly said, yes," Snape sneered.

"All right, how much do you think it will cost?" Harry asked, determined to keep this meeting without the supervision of Draco peaceful.

Snape drummed his fingers on the table; a loud tapping sound in the otherwise silent kitchen. The house elves were elsewhere in the manor, probably cleaning the rooms.

"Well, the poison of the blue ringed octopus will be the cheapest. Nine hundred and fifty-three Galleons for a liter of it," Snape started.

Harry almost chocked in his coffee when he heard the price. "Nine hundred and fifty-three Galleons for a liter? You call that cheap?" he squeaked out.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I thought you understood me when I said it was expensive."

"Well yeah, but I didn't expect it to be that expensive!" Harry exclaimed and ranked a hand through his hair.

"Nobody forces you to buy those ingredients, Potter," Snape gritted out.

"I know, okay, I know. I just – can't I be surprised?" Harry huffed. "Continue."

Snape snorted and shook his head. "The Roche de la Mort has a value of one thousand Galleons, give or take. Lastly the poison of the Akeyra has a value on the black market of two thousand five hundred Galleons, but I will have to contact some people to be certain."

Harry paled at the mentioned prices. All right, so he hadn't expected it to be that expensive. Still, he wanted that asshole in Azkaban and he wanted to avoid more deaths caused by him. If he bought those ingredients, Snape would probably be able to create an antidote. What were a few thousand Galleons when he could save people?

"All right, you can contact those people. I'll buy that stuff," Harry muttered.

Snape stared at him with unreadable eyes. "Are you sure, Potter? We're not talking about a few Galleons here."

"I know," Harry snapped. "But I also don't want more people to die. If you have those ingredients, there's a big chance you'll be able to create an antidote. So a few thousand Galleons are worth it if it saves those innocent people."

For a while it was silent, while the two occupants kept staring at each other.

Snape was the one who broke the silence. "There are times when helping people is considered to be the best thing you can do, but there are also times when it's just plain stupidity."

"So, are you going to contact those people?" Harry asked irritated.

Snape scowled. "Yes, idiotic brat, I will contact them. I just hope you know what you're doing."

Harry shrugged. "What can possibly go wrong with trying to find an antidote?"

"With you, Potter? Anything is possible," Snape snorted.

Harry looked insulted, but decided it just wasn't worth the effort to reply.

* * *

"All right, what do you think of this?" Draco held up a green shirt, showing it to Teddy.

Teddy cocked his head to the right. "It's a nice shirt." He shrugged.

"But not good enough for Harry." Draco frowned and hung the shirt away.

"It's not that; it's just that dad isn't used to receiving presents." Teddy bit his lip.

"Well, he will just have to get used to it, because he's now with me," Draco said determined.

Suddenly Scorpius' voice sounded a few clothes ranks further. "Papa, Teddy, come look."

Draco raised an eyebrow and followed the direction of Scorpius' voice, Teddy trailing behind him.

They found Scorpius standing in front of … maternity clothes. His little hand was clutching a blue shirt.

"Will daddy wear this when he has a baby in his belly?" Scorpius asked innocently.

A few pregnant women giggled when they heard Scorpius' innocent question and awed at the cute boy.

Draco blushed a little and grabbed Scorpius' hand before dragging him away. "Scorpius, you know you're not allowed to go out of my sight in public," he scolded.

"But I didn't go far," Scorpius protested. "And you still haven't answered, papa. Will daddy wear that shirt when he has a baby in his belly?"

Draco cleared his throat, steering both boys out of the store. "I don't know, sweetie, maybe."

Teddy frowned and followed the two Malfoys through Diagon Alley. There it was again. Again Scorpius was talking about the possibility of his dad getting pregnant. But his dad had told him men couldn't get pregnant, because they didn't have the necessary organs. And that was good – the fact that his dad couldn't get babies that is. He didn't need another person to fight for his dad's attention. Two people were enough – he excluded Ginny.

Draco stopped abruptly in front of a jewelry shop. "What do you think of this?"

"There are nice things in here," Teddy murmured, mesmerized by the sparkling and glittering jewelry.

Draco smirked and grabbed the boys' hands. "I think I'll find something in here for Harry."

And indeed, when they exited the shop, Draco was holding a bag with two presents in it. Although one present would be of use later.

* * *

When they arrived at the manor again, Draco sent the two boys to take a bath, because it would warm them up. He hid the two presents in his study room and made his way to Harry's room.

He knocked and entered the room, seeing Harry sit on his bed with a frown on his face and a letter in his hands.

Draco sat down next to him, sliding an arm around his shoulders and gave him a kiss on his cheeks.

"I missed you," he murmured and buried his face in Harry's neck, inhaling his scent.

Harry stroked his hair and gave him a quick kiss on his temple. "You were only gone for a few hours."

"Still I missed you," Draco sighed. "I sent the boys to take a bath so they could warm up. What are you reading?"

"Ginny sent me another letter."

Draco tensed and slowly breathed out.

"She wants to meet me again." He could feel Harry's stare. "So, do you want to go with me?"

Draco sighed and closed his eyes. Damned persistent bitch.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: meeting with Ginny, exchange of presents and the first lemon
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 24**

The next morning, Draco was staring at a sleeping Harry, contemplating the Weasley's request. He didn't want to meet the wench, but he also didn't want Harry to go alone. The fact that his company would piss off the witch, was what made Draco decide to join Harry. Of course that wasn't what he told Harry; Harry thought he didn't want to leave him alone – which was partly true.

Absently he started to stroke through the black, unruly hair that was tickling his jaw. The sheets had pooled around their hips, leaving their chests bare. Well, Draco's chest was bare; Harry was sleeping with a shirt and boxers. Although if it depended on Draco, he would soon be sleeping half naked too – or completely naked, Draco wouldn't complain.

Looking at Harry's stomach, Draco was suddenly reminded of Scorpius' question. He thought Harry would indeed look beautiful expecting a baby – their baby – and wondered how he would breach that topic. Maybe if he just bought that maternity shirt, would that be too quickly? After all they weren't even together for two months.

Draco sighed and buried his face in Harry's neck. He could always buy that shirt to check Harry's reaction to it. He smirked and wondered how outraged Harry would be.

They had decided to meet Ginny today. Draco figured that meeting her on a later date, would only prolong his suffering. They would let Severus watch their boys; Draco wanted to keep Weasley as far away as he could from Teddy and Scorpius. It wasn't Teddy he was worried about, because he had made it quite clear what he thought of Weasley, but he didn't want to give her a chance to sink her claws in his son.

He was brought out from his musings when he felt eyes staring at him. He looked down and met clear, emerald green eyes.

"Would you mind relaxing your hand before you rip out my hair?" Harry asked, faintly smiling.

Draco blinked and relaxed his hand that had gripped the black hair tightly. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"It's nothing," Harry smiled and shared a sweet kiss with Draco.

"Did you sleep well?" Draco asked and sat up to lean against the headboard.

Harry sat up as well and stretched like a cat and yawned. His hand fumbled around on his nightstand and grabbed his glasses. He blinked when the room came into focus and sighed.

"I slept well, but it seems like you have something on your mind," he replied and leaned against the headboard too, looking at Draco inquiringly.

Draco shrugged, his shoulder brushing against Harry's. "Nothing special. Just wondering how pissed off the Weaselette will be when she sees I'm accompanying you," he smirked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You'll behave, Draco," he warned him.

"I'll behave if she does," Draco answered grimly.

Harry sighed, but didn't answer.

"So what exactly did you buy for Scorpius?" Draco asked nonchalantly, dreading the answer.

The smirk Harry gave him confirmed his fears.

"Oh, nothing special," Harry hummed and stretched his legs.

"Really? Then why do I have the feeling this present will be bad for me?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know; maybe because you're paranoid?" Harry chuckled.

Draco huffed and crossed his arms.

Suddenly a house elf appeared in the room, looking solemnly at his master in bed. A part of a sheet acted as clothing.

"Linsky sent by young masters. Young masters awake and want see you," the house elf said calmly.

"You may send them in," Draco chuckled.

For one fleeting moment, Linsky seemed surprised to hear Draco chuckle and the big, light green eyes flitted to Harry before bowing. "Yes, Master Draco, Linsky will send young masters." With a soft POOF, Linsky disappeared. One minute later, Teddy and Scorpius jumped on the bed and snuggled between the two men; Scorpius to Draco's side and Teddy to Harry's side.

"Good morning, boys," Harry smiled and gave them a kiss on their forehead.

"Good morning, daddy, papa!" Scorpius chirped.

"Morning, dad, Draco." Teddy yawned.

"Boys, daddy and I have to meet someone today, so Uncle Sev will come over to watch over you," Draco told them.

Teddy looked warily while Scorpius pouted.

"Why can't we go too?" he asked with begging eyes.

Before either man could reply, Teddy whispered something in Scorpius' ear to which the boy nodded and 'oh'ed.

"Okay, I don't want to go." Scorpius shook his head.

"What did you tell him?" Harry asked confused.

"That your meeting would be boring without any toys to play with," Teddy replied, shrugging.

"When will Uncle Sev be here?" Scorpius asked, bouncing on the bed.

Draco gripped his waist which made his son giggle. "He'll be here around ten thirty," Draco answered.

It was now nine a.m. They decided to take a shower (Harry pointedly closed the door in front of Draco when he wanted to sneak in) before eating breakfast while waiting for Snape.

* * *

While Harry was waiting downstairs with Teddy and Scorpius, Draco had gone back upstairs to search for his watch. Either the watch was in his study or it was in the bedroom he now shared with Harry. He had already searched his study, but hadn't found his watch. That left the bedroom.

He found his watch discarded on the desk, next to a pile of books. Slipping his watch in his pocket, he couldn't resist glancing at the books and was surprised to see that the books were about Healing. Draco frowned and took a book, placing it aside when a piece of paper fell out of the book, landing on the carpeted floor. Draco cursed and bent down to pick it up. He raised an eyebrow when the piece of paper showed a job advertisement for a Mediwizard.

"So Harry decided on Healing, huh," Draco murmured and slipped the advertisement back in the book, putting the book back on the pile.

At least Harry had chosen something safe as his next job; that was a relief for Draco.

* * *

While Harry was watching amused at Scorpius who was trying to drink and draw at the same time, Teddy was watching him intently, musing about something.

After a while Harry found it hard to ignore the stare and turned to Teddy, who sat beside him on the couch. Teddy's hair today was a strawberry blond and he had blue green eyes.

"Is there something wrong, Teddy?" Harry asked curiously.

"How come you don't go to work anymore?" Teddy asked, cocking his head to the side. He had been wondering about that for a while now. At first he hadn't noticed that his dad was staying rather long in the manor. But it had been more than two weeks now and he had never seen his dad leave except for meetings or shopping. Why didn't he go to work again? Was he having a rather long vacation?

Harry froze; his mind trying to decide whether he should lie or just tell the truth. He looked at his godson and bit on his lip. He finally made a decision and sighed. "I quit my job a few weeks ago, Teddy."

"Oh." Teddy nodded. "Why?"

"Because my boss wanted to know something that would hurt another person," Harry replied, trying to keep his answer as vague as possible. Teddy didn't need to know everything.

"But are you going to stay home forever then, dad?" Teddy asked curiously.

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm going to study Healing to become a Mediwizard."

"So you're going to work in a hospital?"

Harry chuckled. "Not before I have my license."

Teddy smiled and reached again for the book he had placed on the coffee table in front of him.

"You better make sure that you're back soon, Potter. I have no desire to babysit throughout the whole day," the grumpy voice of Snape sounded in the doorway.

Harry turned around to face him and smiled. "No, we'll be back at three o'clock normally."

"You better be," Snape replied darkly.

"Ready to go, Harry?" Draco appeared in the doorway.

Harry nodded and stood up. He ruffled both the boys' hair and smiled. "We'll see you later, sweeties."

"Bye daddy." Scorpius waved, grinning.

Teddy smiled and waved too.

Draco sighed while they made their way outside the wards to apparate. "So you decided to be a Mediwizard?" he asked.

Harry looked up surprised. "How do you know that?"

Draco showed his watch. "I was looking for my watch and I found it by a pile of books. They were about Healing and I found the advertisement."

"Well, I figured if I can't help people with capturing the bad guys, I can at least help them with Healing," Harry smiled weakly.

Draco chuckled. "At least you won't be endangering your life in the progress."

Harry just rolled his eyes, not dignifying it with a reply. He just grabbed Draco's arm to Apparate him in a side alley of Diagon Alley.

"Where are we meeting her?" Draco asked with a resigned sigh.

"In a little pub just a few feet away from George's shop," Harry replied, shivering in the cold air.

Draco frowned when he saw the shiver and grabbed Harry's hand, stuffing his and Harry's in his pocket.

Harry felt himself blushing at that action and was acutely aware of people staring at them. He could feel the eyes directed at their joined hands and the frowns on their faces at their closeness.

"They are looking at us," Harry murmured uncomfortably. Even after all these years, he still wasn't used to the attention and he probably wouldn't get used to it ever. He dreaded the newspapers tomorrow. Now that the public had seen him holding hands with Draco, they wouldn't shut up about it. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"So? Just let them look. We have nothing to be ashamed of," Draco muttered annoyed.

Harry bit on his lower lip and directed his gaze at the ground, hoping they arrived quickly at the pub.

Draco frowned when he saw the uncertain look on Harry's face and was honestly a bit hurt by it. Why would Harry care about what the public thought? They were together and Harry was happy with him. He shouldn't let the opinion of the public get to him.

He decided to show the people that he didn't care about their opinions. He tugged at Harry's hand and brought him to a stop in front of a clothing store.

Harry looked up confused. "Draco, why are we stopping here? We're not in the café yet. Besides it's cold," he complained.

"Harry, are you ashamed of me?" Draco demanded to know.

Harry breathed slowly out, his breath forming little, white clouds. "No," he murmured after a bit of hesitation.

"That's all I wanted to know," Draco breathed before bending down and surprising Harry with a passionate kiss.

Several people gasped and Harry wanted to pull away but a hand on his back stopped him and pulled him even closer to Draco. An insisting tongue was pushing against his mouth and against better knowing he surrendered with a low moan and opened his mouth for Draco, letting his tongue inside. He shivered when he felt Draco's cold hand shifting beneath his jacket and sweater, resting on his warm skin. Draco was being rough with his kissing now and soon Harry was gasping for air, but still not willing to let go of those amazing lips. His hands crept on their own around Draco's neck and he pulled his head back a bit to kiss Draco better. Draco smiled in their kiss and groaned softly when Harry's tongue met him to play.

Eventually the need for air forced them apart and they separated their lips. Both mouths were very swollen and red and they were panting, supporting a heavy blush on their cheeks.

Emerald green eyes were looking dazed at him, blinking.

Draco took a sneak peek around and saw that there were some people who were looking scandalized and were pulling their kids away, covering their eyes. But most people were just smiling at them, some were blushing and there were even a few boys who were whistling and winking with their thumbs up. Draco smirked smugly and rested his forehead against Harry's.

Harry sighed softly. "Any particular reason why you decided to do that? It will probably be all over the newspapers tomorrow."

"Probably and I couldn't care less," Draco replied dismissively. "I shouldn't have to worry about kissing you in public."

"You'll destroy the Howlers," Harry muttered.

Draco grinned. _Victory_. "Sure," he chuckled.

"Come on now. It's getting too cold out here," Harry complained, but he didn't object when Draco put his arm around his shoulder. The public had seen them kissing – an arm around the shoulder wouldn't do more damage than the kiss already had done.

They arrived after a few minutes at the pub and they hurried inside, eager to warm up again. Draco scanned the crowd and to his dismay Ginny Weasley was already seated at a corner, tucked away from sight. Only her flaming red hair could be seen.

"She's sitting there," Draco murmured in Harry's ear, discreetly pointing towards the corner.

Harry looked in that direction and nodded before taking a deep breath and praying to Merlin that this meeting wouldn't end in bloodshed.

He led Draco to the table and he smiled weakly at Ginny.

Ginny looked up when a shadow fell over her table and looked up, already smiling. However her smile froze when she saw that Harry wasn't alone this time. He had brought Malfoy with him. Malfoy was standing slightly behind Harry, his hand resting on Harry's hip. Ginny's eyes narrowed a bit when she saw that possessive gesture. This had not been part of her plan. She had needed Harry to meet her alone, not bring his lover for this moment with him! She took a calming, deep breath. How much it annoyed her, she would have to be friendly to Malfoy; after all, she had told Harry she was willing to apologize to the filthy snake.

She stood up and tried to keep the friendly smile on her face; her cheeks felt as if they were about to cramp. "Harry! I see you brought Malfoy with you," she said surprised.

Harry rubbed his head and blushed a bit. "Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you that, but it was kind of decided at the last minute," he replied sheepishly.

"No, it's fine; no problem," Ginny smiled strained and sat down again.

As soon as the two men had taken their seats – Draco pointedly sitting in front of Ginny so that she couldn't try anything fishy underneath the table – a blond haired waitress with one purple streak in her hair appeared at their table. She was chewing bubblegum and with a bored face, she asked, "What can I get for you?"

"Butterbeer please," Ginny replied, hiding her hands underneath the table as to not show Harry her clenched fists.

"A hot chocolate for me, please," Harry answered, smiling.

The waitress blinked when the smile was directed at her and a very light blush appeared on her face before she cleared her throat and turned to Draco. "And for you, sir?"

"A latte macchiato," Draco ordered, narrowing his eyes a bit, but he decided to let the waitress go. Yes, she had blushed, but she had continued to be professional and hadn't started flirting with Harry. He decided he liked this waitress.

"How are you today, Harry… Malfoy?" Ginny asked, adding the last name through clenched teeth.

"I'm splendid, thank you for asking," Malfoy smirked and casually laid his arm around Harry's shoulders.

Hands clenched tighter.

"I'm fine, Ginny and you?" Harry asked politely and leaned back against Draco's arm unconsciously.

Ginny swallowed when she saw how relaxed Harry looked in Malfoy's arm. She had counted on Harry still being uncertain of his relationship with Malfoy. But the way he was sitting against him, showed her that Harry didn't have any insecurities anymore and that he couldn't care less if someone saw them together.

"I'm fine; I have been busy with Quidditch practice for the Holly Head Harpies," Ginny answered smiling.

"That's right, you're now their Captain, aren't you?" Harry asked interested. "Do you think you'll be able to win the Cup next year?"

With that, Ginny launched into an explanation of her tactics and why she thought her team made a good chance to win.

She ignored the heavy stare that Malfoy was directing at her. He might have won this fight, but he wouldn't win the war. In the end she would get Harry.

At one point Harry excused himself to go to the bathroom and as soon as he was gone, Ginny and Draco started glaring at each other, freely letting their hate show now that their mutual object of affection was out of sight.

"Listen here, Malfoy, if you think you can keep Harry then you are very mistaken," Ginny hissed.

"I knew you had an ulterior motive when you asked for his friendship. You're pathetic, Weaselette," Draco spat, his grey eyes burning. "Do you honestly think you still make a chance after cheating on him?"

"Yes, I still have a chance; in fact, I have a better chance than you," Ginny retorted back, crossing her arms in front of her breasts which were straining against her tight top. Obviously she had thought to be alone with Harry when she had selected her clothes.

"Oh, you really think so? Then tell me, Weaselette, who is with Harry now?" Draco asked smugly.

"Harry is just confused. He'll realize eventually that he isn't gay and that we belong together," Ginny insisted. "I know him better than you do, Malfoy. I have known him since I was eleven and I have had a relationship with him for nearly five years. You just started being on a friendly basis with him a few months ago and you're only a couple for what? A month? Do you honestly think that you have what it takes to satisfy Harry? He loved our sex together." She threw that last sentence in his face, feeling smug when she saw him grimace.

Of course Draco had known that Harry had had sex with Ginny, he just didn't want to think about it.

"I'm certain I know him better than you all think you do. We may have not been friends in Hogwarts, but we spent more time paying attention to each other than we sometimes did to our own friends. And I have him now, bitch," Draco sneered. "And once a Malfoy has something we don't let it go. I'm not the one who cheated on him like a tramp, Weasley."

Ginny's face went red, which clashed with her hair. "Enjoy your time with Harry, ferret, because your days are numbered with him," she hissed.

"Oh, I'm so worried now," Draco mocked.

"You …"

"Ginny, why is your face so red?" suddenly Harry's voice sounded behind them confused.

Both of them immediately straightened their backs and smiled.

"It's just a bit warm here, Harry," Ginny reassured him.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows and sat down again. "Are you sure you're not getting sick?"

"That would be too merciful for me," Draco murmured underneath his breath.

Ginny narrowed her brown eyes at him for a moment before relaxing again. "Don't worry, I'm not getting sick."

"That's good; we wouldn't want you to miss your next game, right," Harry chuckled and took a sip of his cooling chocolate drink.

"No, we wouldn't," Ginny smiled back sweetly.

* * *

They ended up staying until two p.m. before Harry and Draco decided to go home and relieve Snape from his babysit duties.

"I'll see you another time, Ginny," Harry smiled.

Ginny smiled back and gave him a quick hug to which Harry responded surprised. She smirked over Harry's shoulder at Draco who was glaring at her and trying to kill her with his glare. Sadly it didn't work.

"I'll see you later, Harry." Ginny nodded and released him. "Oh, but if we don't manage to meet again before the new year starts, Merry Christmas, Harry." She winked at him.

Harry chuckled. "Merry Christmas to you too, Ginny."

Draco sighed relieved when they made their way outside. He took a deep breath of fresh air, grateful to breathe in clean, fresh air instead of nasty, flowery perfume.

"Hey, do you mind if we go visit George for a few minutes?" Harry asked and looked at Draco curiously.

Draco shrugged. "I don't mind, but I want to go look into another shop. Where do we meet?"

Harry bit on his lip and his eyes turned upwards when he tried to think of a place. "What do you think of the alley where we Apparated in?"

"Sounds good to me." Draco nodded and then grabbed Harry's chin to give him a soft kiss.

Harry smiled in the kiss and looked tenderly at Draco before slipping in George's shop.

Draco shook his head smiling and made his way to the clothing store he had visited with his son and Teddy.

When he entered the store, he hesitated for a moment before resolutely walking to the maternity clothes. Harry would probably kill him when he received his gift, but this was the only way he could gauge Harry's reaction to a possible pregnancy. He realized it was early to already think of more kids between them, but he was pretty certain he would stay with Harry. He studied the various shirts and selected an emerald green one that was worn when you reached the fourth month. He smirked and went to buy it.

The woman smiled at him when she removed the price tag. "Is this for your wife?"

"No, actually, I'm together with a man. I'm going to try and see what he thinks of a kid with showing that shirt." Draco nodded to it.

She folded the shirt up and placed it in a bag before accepting the nine Galleons and eight Sickles. "Ah, a hint," she chuckled. "Well, I'm sure you'll get him convinced." She winked.

"I hope so," Draco smiled and accepted the bag.

The shopkeeper smiled and waved.

Draco whistled softly and made his way to the alley where he had agreed to meet Harry again. He leaned against the wall and looked bored at the passing people who were all busy shopping and talking and laughing loudly.

Harry arrived five minutes later than him, sporting a grin on his face and a bag in his hand.

To Draco's surprise Harry gave him a quick kiss on his mouth.

"Are we going home now?" Harry asked with a smile.

"Sure." Draco grinned and Apparated them both to the edge of the Malfoy's manor property.

Only then did Harry notice the bag in Draco's hand. "What's in the bag?" he asked curiously.

Draco smiled mysteriously. "You'll see in a few weeks."

Harry pouted.

* * *

When they arrived in the manor, they were greeted by the sight of a frustrated looking Snape, who had red paint all over his pants with Teddy standing in a corner, the corners of his mouth twitching while Scorpius was trembling and had his head bowed to the floor.

Harry gaped. "What happened here?" he asked shocked and dropped his bag of joke potions on the floor.

Snape looked up and glared heatedly at Harry. "Your sons decided to paint. While Teddy seemed capable of making a decent picture without spilling anything, the blond brat decided it was time that my trousers got a makeover and spilt all the red paint," he growled.

"I – I'm sorry, Uncle Sev. I didn't mean to," Scorpius said, trembling. "I wanted to grab my cup, but – but my cup with paint fell over."

Draco smirked. "Well, you could use some colour in your wardrobe."

Snape sneered at him and stood up, glaring disgusted at his coloured trousers.

"I have some trousers left from father if you want to change your clothes," Draco suggested grinning.

"Insolent, idiotic, impertinent brat," Snape growled at him before stalking his way upstairs.

"Look at that, Severus is good at alliteration," Draco remarked, smiling brightly.

Harry snorted and shook his head before making his way over to Scorpius and pulling him into his arms. "Hey, don't worry, Uncle Sev won't stay mad at you. He knows you didn't do it on purpose."

Suddenly Teddy chuckled. "No, but it was funny."

"Don't let him hear you say that." Draco winked.

"What don't I have to hear?" Snape asked, glowering in the doorway, now wearing grey trousers.

"Nothing," Harry assured him while three other occupants of the room giggled.

* * *

The next day, all the newspapers reported about Harry's relationship with Draco. There were speculations on how long it had been going on and how they had met again. However none of the newspapers managed to get an exclusive interview with either Harry or Draco. Still that didn't stop them from producing various articles about them, full with rumours and half-truths.

For once in his life, Harry didn't care what the public thought of him. If they had a problem with his choice of partner, they could suck it up.

That statement was rewarded with a heavy make out session which had them locked up in their room for many hours.

* * *

One week later Draco received a letter from his former wife wherein she asked to see her son in the week of the first January.

Harry had read the letter too and had just shrugged. When Draco asked if it would bother him if Daphne came to visit and see Scorpius, he just had answered dryly, "Why would I? Scorpius is her son; of course she can come and see him."

Draco had smiled and had written a reply back wherein he stated that she was welcome.

* * *

Then it was finally Christmas. Harry had talked to Andromeda and she had agreed to have him and Teddy over the day after New Year. He had asked if Draco was able to join them, but Andromeda had been reluctant. There was a nasty history between her and Narcissa, she had told him and to be honest she wasn't sure if she would get along with Narcissa's son. Harry had relented after she had promised she would give Draco a chance in the future.

They had invited Snape over for dinner. It was nine p.m. They had had a wonderful dinner made by the house elves and now they were sitting in the living room, ready to open their presents while the Christmas tree was merrily twinkling in the background.

Draco had decided to give the shirt to Harry later in private; he didn't want Scorpius to get overexcited.

Meanwhile Harry was slightly nervous about one of his own presents for Draco. He had hidden it in his room, not wanting to attract unwanted attention to the present, but he hoped Draco would like it.

"Are we going to open presents now?" Scorpius asked impatiently.

Draco chuckled and Snape snorted. "Yes, you brat; go get the presents."

Scorpius shrieked in delight and ran towards the tree, quickly pulling the presents from underneath it, bringing it to the others and piling it up on the floor.

They divided the presents underneath each other and the adults watched how the boys shredded the paper around their presents. They both beamed and grinned widely when they saw what they got.

Scorpius had gotten more candy from his papa (which made Snape glower at Draco, who was smiling cheekily at him), drawing supplies from Harry, a potions kit made for children from Snape and Teddy had gotten him three books of dragons and of unicorns. At this Scorpius had looked up surprised at him to which Teddy just had blushed and shrugged.

Teddy had gotten several books from his dad, tickets to an amusement park from Draco, drawn pictures of magical animals and a bag of candy from Scorpius and Snape had given him a book of Charms.

"What? I think you have talent for that field; your father was good in it," Snape explained brusquely.

"Thank you," Teddy murmured softly.

"Hn," Snape grunted.

Next to open presents was Snape. From his godson he had received more potion ingredients that were expensive and which Snape couldn't afford all of them at once. From Scorpius and Teddy he had gotten drawings of plants used in potions and Snape surprised them by smirking at it, congratulating the boys on picturing the plants well on paper. He was shocked to receive a gift of Harry which consisted of rare potion books that were written in earlier centuries.

Snape looked at him speechlessly, knowing this must have cost a lot.

Harry shrugged and didn't meet his eyes. "I didn't know what to buy you and thought potions were a safe present."

"These editions must have cost a lot," Snape murmured, stroking the books.

"Don't worry about it," Harry replied, smiling. Snape had told him earlier in private that one of his contacts had gone to the jungle to collect the Akeyra's poison and another one was collecting both the stone and the octopus' poison. The ingredients would normally arrive in the middle of January.

Draco laughed when he received bottles of his favourite brand of shampoo from Harry, who grinned at him.

"Do you want to say that I smell bad?" Draco asked chuckling.

"No, but I figured that a vain person like you would appreciate beauty products," Harry teased him.

Draco shook his head, but continued to open his presents. From his godfather he received a potion book and a book about Arithmancy, a subject he had liked when he was at Hogwarts. Scorpius and Teddy surprised him with giving him a photo of them both and Harry.

"How did you …" He looked up.

"We had some help of George with taking the photograph," Harry smiled. "It was the boys' idea."

"Now you have a photo of the family." Scorpius clapped his hands.

"Yes, now I have a photo of the family," Draco agreed, smiling. In the photo, Harry had Scorpius on his hip and an arm around Teddy who stood slightly in front of him. They indeed formed now a family.

Now only Harry had to open his presents. He shook his head smiling when he saw the present of Scorpius and Teddy. They had giving him a two year pass to every Quidditch match.

"How did you get this pass?" he asked curiously.

"Draco helped us a bit," Teddy admitted. "Do you like it, dad?"

"Yes, of course I like it; thank you Teddy, Scorpius," he replied and gave them both a hug.

His eyes went wide when he saw a present that was given to him by Snape. It was rather heavy and had a round shape as if it was a bowl.

When he opened it, he saw to his confusion a Pensive. He looked up at Snape with an inquiring look.

Snape refused to look him in his eyes while he explained, "Seeing as you didn't get much time with the mutt and the wolf, I figured they didn't have the time to tell you about your parents. So, even though I loathed your dad, your godfather and the wolf, I liked your mother and I collected all the memories I had of them. The good and the bad," he added.

Harry was speechless. Sure, he had a photo album full with photos of his parents, Sirius and Remus, but that didn't show much of them. He didn't really know them and he had never had the chance to get to know them. That was until now. Now he had real memories of them, that he could watch whenever he wanted. And that thanks to Snape, who had reason to loathe his father, his godfather and Remus.

Harry blinked something away in his eyes that looked suspiciously like tears. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Don't mention it," Snape muttered, seemingly interested in the pile of shredded paper.

"What is that, daddy?" Scorpius asked curiously, looking at the Pensive with a cocked head.

"This is a Pensive. It's where your Uncle Sev has put memories in it from my mom and dad and their friends," Harry explained; his voice rough.

"Are you happy with it?" Scorpius asked, wondering why his daddy's eyes seemed suspiciously wet.

Carefully Harry placed the Pensive on a closet against the wall and put protective spells around it. No way was he going to waste the last memories he had from his parents and their friends.

"Yes, I'm very happy with it, sweetie."

Draco smiled softly. "You still have to open my gift, Harry."

"You've gotten me a gift?" Harry asked surprised and reached for the smallest package.

Draco huffed. "Of course I did. I told you I would get you a present, didn't I?" He briefly thought of the other package he had bought and that he had hidden in his study; that present would have to wait a while before he handed it over to Harry.

Harry's breath caught when he saw what was in the package. A delicate, silver chain with small droplets of emerald and a little golden lion intertwined with a silver and crystal blue dragon glittered in the fire. Harry stroked it carefully.

"It's pretty!" Scorpius exclaimed.

Teddy nodded in agreement; Draco sure had taste.

"Wow, this is too much, Draco. That must have cost a lot," Harry whispered.

"Coming from you, Potter, that doesn't mean a lot. So shut up and accept the gift graciously and thank Draco," Snape snapped.

Harry turned to Draco and hugged him. "Thank you; it's beautiful," he whispered in his ear.

Draco embraced him back. "You're worth it," he murmured back and gave him a soft peck on his lips. He helped Harry putting the chain around his wrist; the fire catching the lion and the dragon, making it sparkle.

"Oh, that's right! I have one more present for you boys," Harry smiled and stood up.

They heard him going upstairs.

Teddy and Scorpius shared an excited look, while Draco was getting a dreading feeling in his stomach.

Harry returned a few minutes later back, a rather large box floating in front of him in the air. He directed it with his wand to the floor in front of the boys.

"Go on, open it," he encouraged them.

Together they ripped the paper of the box and twin gasps could be heard when they each picked up a present. Teddy was holding a kitten with black fur, white paws and huge, golden eyes. The kitten blinked at the boy and stuck out his paw to pat it against Teddy's cheek making the boy giggle softly.

Scorpius was holding a baby ferret; his smooth, white skin sparkling in the fire.

Draco stiffened when he noticed the white ferret.

"Now Scorpius, you have to be very careful with this ferret. The shopkeeper assured me that it wouldn't bite or hurt you in any form, but just to be safe, be careful with it, okay? And care for it well," Harry smiled.

"I will, daddy! Thank you!" Scorpius squealed and hugged the little ferret carefully.

"Thanks, dad," Teddy smiled shyly, his amber coloured eyes sparkling with joy.

Harry ruffled his hair. "I'm happy you like the kitten, Teddy," he grinned.

"So that is what you bought for them," Draco said in a controlled, tight voice.

Snape snorted when he remembered the incident in Draco's fourth year.

"Yeah, aren't they cute?" Harry cooed at the two baby animals.

"You are so lucky I like you, because I would have hexed you so badly," Draco hissed through clenched teeth.

"What's the matter, Draco?" Teddy wondered, not understanding why the man seemed upset with the ferret.

Gleefully Harry launched into the tale of Draco changing into a ferret. It wasn't long before both boys were giggling uncontrollably.

Draco shook his head and pouted. "Yes, yes, laugh at my expense."

"Don't worry, Draco, I'll make it up to you later," Harry whispered teasingly in Draco's ear.

Draco looked at him and caught something in the emerald green eyes which made him wish that Snape would decide to depart soon and the boys would go to sleep.

One hour later, Snape decided it was time to go to his home and he left, shocking the boys by ruffling their hair on his way out.

"It seems even Snape can't resist the Christmas spirit," Harry remarked amused.

After showing the boys where they could place the kitten and the ferret at night (in a separate room between their rooms, filled with their food, two baskets and toys), the boys were tucked into bed and each given a kiss.

Soon exhaustion took over their bodies and both Scorpius and Teddy fell asleep, dreaming of their presents and of their new pets.

* * *

Harry had decided to take a quick shower, thinking it would soothe the sudden attack of nerves.

 _Come on, it's nothing you haven't done before_ , he encouraged himself while furiously scrubbing his body. _The only difference is that this time it's with a man._

Draco walked into the bedroom and removed his shirt and pants, placing them on the chair. It had been a tiring, but satisfying night. When he wanted to lie down, his hand brushed against a box. He looked down surprised and grabbed the box.

 _To Draco_ , it read.

Curiously he opened the box and held his breath when he saw what was in it. He picked it out of the box and stared at it. A bottle of lube. The box fell to the floor.

He looked to the door when it opened.

Harry stood there watching him, only dressed in a shirt and boxers. He bit his lip and closed the door behind him, muttering a silence and privacy spell. Once that was done, he turned around to face Draco.

"So, what do you think of your last present?" he asked nervously.

"Do you mean with this what I think you mean with it?" Draco stammered and cursed himself for stammering. He had never had problems before with talking to men he was about to have sex with.

"If you're thinking about the fact that I'm ready to have sex with you, then you think correctly," Harry smiled weakly.

"Are you really ready for it? I mean, I don't want to pressure you or anything," Draco hurried to assure him.

Harry smiled, a bit more certain of himself, and walked towards Draco, stopping in front of him so that Draco had to look up at him. "Yes, I'm ready. I wouldn't have bought that lube if I hadn't meant it."

"Did you really go to a store to buy it?" Draco asked amused.

Harry blushed and rubbed his neck. "Well, no, I used a disguise charm to buy it," he murmured.

Draco chuckled and embraced Harry's hips, burying his face in the tanned, muscled stomach.

"So, do you want to do it?" Harry asked, biting his lower lip.

"Do you really need to ask that?" Draco shook his head incredulously and forced Harry to lie down on the bed.

"You don't know how happy I am now, Harry," he whispered with a loving kiss on Harry's ear.

Harry gripped his wrists, restraining him. Draco looked at him inquiringly.

"Will it hurt?" Harry asked weakly, cursing himself for not sounding stronger. What was he, a wimp?

Draco smiled reassuringly at him and freed one of his hands, using it to caress Harry's face. "In the beginning it will probably hurt a bit, but I promise I'll make you feel so good, Harry," he murmured softly.

Harry took a deep breath and slowly released Draco's other hand.

"I trust you," he mumbled.

Draco removed his glasses and Harry heard him place them on the nightstand.

"That's good to hear," Draco muttered against his lips before kissing him softly. He shifted a bit, nudging Harry's legs open so that he could lie between them.

At first, they only kissed each other softly; Draco trying to relax Harry. He was excited and happy; he just felt wonderful now. He would have waited as long as Harry wanted; he didn't want to pressure him into anything and here he was already; Harry was ready to have sex with him. He couldn't stop the smile blooming up on his face and his kisses grew fiercer, his hands slipping underneath the shirt, caressing the soft flesh he found. Harry moaned softly in response and wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, drawing him closer, kissing him back as fiercely as he could; fire against fire. Draco would make him feel so good. Essentially this was Harry's first time having sex with a man; he was considered a virgin in that field and Draco couldn't wait to show him how wonderful and enjoyable sex with a man could be.

Draco broke the kiss for a moment to take off Harry's shirt and he threw it somewhere in the room, not caring where it landed, especially not when Harry drew him back in for a passionate kiss.

A soft tongue poked against his lips and he opened his mouth, allowing Harry entrance. Their tongues found each other and caressed and sucked on each other, drawing moans and groans from their throats.

Draco shivered when he felt warm hands gliding over his naked chest; Harry's hands left a trail of fire over his skin.

Harry pulled his legs up and wrapped them around Draco's hips, pushing their groins together. Both gasped when their erections brushed against each other and they started bucking their hips, building up the tension in their bellies.

Harry opened his eyes and was surprised when he realized that he was able to see Draco clearly. Golden blond hair was stuck to Draco's forehead and Harry realized they had started to sweat, due to the tension and heat they were building up.

He mewled without restraint when he felt two hot lips sucking and biting on the tender skin of his neck. He started to pant and his hands were frantically caressing every inch of Draco's soft, smooth skin that he was able to touch.

Harry whimpered when a hand brushed against his dick and Draco looked straight into his eyes when he slowly removed Harry's underwear. Harry lifted up his legs from the bed to make it easier for Draco and his lover threw his underwear on the floor before turning his attention to Harry's stomach, kissing and biting it, marking it as his property.

"God, Draco," Harry moaned and one of his hands slipped into Draco's blond hair.

Draco smirked when he reached his prize: Harry's hard cock standing proudly in front of his face.

Harry arched his back off the bed and yelled surprised when he felt a hot, wet mouth surrounding him. He moaned loudly and bucked his hips, forcing himself to go deeper in Draco's mouth.

Draco obliged his silent request and relaxed his throat, taking as much of Harry's cock in his throat as he could.

When he thought he was sufficiently distracting Harry with his sucking, his hands fumbled with the cap of the bottle of lube. Finally he got it open and poured a generous amount on his fingers.

He raised his head and waited until Harry looked him in his eyes before saying, "I'm going to prepare you now, Harry; I want you to relax as much as you can, okay?"

Harry nodded nervously and threw his head back with a yell when Draco started sucking him again.

Draco raised Harry's hips a bit, spread his legs a bit more and carefully and slowly pushed the first finger in Harry's arse, feeling Harry tense around him and trying to force his finger out of his body.

Draco started sucking harder and slowly, very slowly, Harry relaxed around his finger, allowing him to push it in further, stretching him a bit.

Harry held his breath and tensed when he felt the first finger breach the muscles of his arse. It stung. He was tempted to push Draco away, but then Draco started to suck him harder and he remembered to relax his body. Slowly the sting eased and he felt the finger breaching him further, stretching him, which was an alien feeling.

After a while of just moving one finger in and out and trying to stretch Harry as much as possible, Draco inserted another finger. This time Harry was quicker to relax and it didn't take long before Draco started scissoring his fingers, stretching Harry even further. He pushed his two fingers deeper in his body, searching for the one spot that would make Harry see stars.

After third tries he found the spot and Harry shot up, clamping down on his fingers, screaming while he released his load in Draco's awaiting mouth. Draco could feel the sperm sliding down his throat and he swallowed which triggered off another scream of Harry who was still coming. Draco licked the now soft cock in his mouth clean before releasing him and coming back up to kiss Harry's mouth softly.

Harry panted and looked at him with dazed eyes.

Draco forced his mouth open and sucked on his tongue when he inserted a third finger.

"Shit," Harry hissed and breathed heavily.

"I know, but I promise it gets better," Draco breathed in Harry's ear, starting to feel uncomfortable with the raging hard on that was still trapped in his underwear.

Harry gripped his arms and panted harshly and started to move his hips, impaling himself on Draco's fingers.

After a few minutes, Harry gripped his wrist and stopped him. Draco looked at him with burning eyes.

Harry gulped and said, "Enough; you can fuck me now."

Grey eyes glittered and Harry helped him pull off his underwear, while Draco was coating his cock with a large amount of lube.

Harry felt nervous when he saw Draco's cock and wondered if that was going to fit in him, even with the stretching.

Draco gripped his hips and positioned himself; Harry felt his cock nudging against his entrance, making him tremble slightly.

"Are you ready?" Draco asked softly, ready to pull back if he saw hesitation.

There wasn't any. Harry nodded determined and gripped his shoulders.

"Go on," he whispered.

Slowly, Draco started to push in, feeling heat envelop him, making his eyes roll up in ecstasy. Internal muscles were slowly relaxing around him, allowing him to glide in even further until he was buried completely in Harry's body. Once he had buried himself completely, his head fell on Harry's shoulder and he panted harshly, his own body trembling from the pressure to hold still. Every nerve in his body was begging him to move, to fuck that delicious body underneath him, to mark him as his own. He would have to wait for that.

Harry whimpered when he felt Draco stretching him even further, making it burn. He wrapped his legs around Draco's waist, letting him slide in deeper and his fists clenched. He was grateful when Draco stopped moving. He had to get used to this sudden filled feeling. Draco was completely buried in him and was filling him up completely. Their chests and hips were pressed together; they fit perfectly as if they were pieces of a puzzle.

After a while, Harry decided he quite liked this feeling of being filled to the brim. Yes, it was weird and it took a while for him to relax, but now he wanted nothing more than for Draco to start moving.

He nuzzled the pale neck and moved his hips up. "You can move now," he whispered in Draco's ear.

Draco raised his head and smiled at him. A soft mouth was pressed against his and it swallowed up his gasp when he felt Draco starting to move.

"Oh, Draco," he sighed and his breath hitched with each soft thrust.

One hand released his hips and found one of his hands, letting them intertwine their fingers.

Draco brought their intertwined hand next to Harry's face. His thrusts were slow but deep.

At first this was fine with Harry, because it allowed him to get used to the feeling, but now he wanted to feel more. He wanted to feel … owned.

"Hn, ah, Draco, Dra – Draco, harder," he moaned.

"Hn," Draco grunted and sped up, slamming his hips down, forcing himself to go even deeper. At his next thrust, he rammed against Harry's sweet spot and Harry screamed, his eyes shut and his back arched.

Draco grinned wolfishly when he heard the scream and started angling his thrusts to keep stabbing against the sweet spot. He felt Harry's cock hardening against his stomach and he started fisting it in time with his thrusts. Harry was trashing his head wildly on the bed, his face and body flushed with desire; his green eyes glowing while he constantly produced moans, groans and mewls that encouraged Draco to slam into him even harder.

Draco felt his leg muscles protesting, but he didn't give a damn about them. He was surrounded by Harry's delicious sweet body and his lover was begging him to fuck him even harder.

"Oh yes, YES, Draco!" Harry panted and he found he couldn't keep his eyes open. He tried to, but every thrust against his prostate forced him to close his eyes, dizzy with desire. Their bodies were moving frantically against each other, making the bed bang against the wall and vaguely Harry was grateful he had remembered to cast a silence spell.

"Fuck, Harry, you're so beautiful," Draco groaned. He moaned when he felt Harry's nails scratching at his back from the overload of pleasure he gave him.

Harry found Draco's mouth and kissed him clumsily. He wouldn't last long; he could already feel his muscles tightening, the fire in his lower stomach burning and bright stars were appearing behind his closed eyelids.

"Oh, fuck, I'm going to – I'm going to …" Harry stammered.

"Then let go," Draco whispered in his ear.

That was all it took. Harry screamed 'DRACO!' when he was thrown over the edge for the second time; his back arching from the bed and all this muscles tensed. He could swear that he had even blacked out for a few seconds. When he came by, Draco was still thrusting madly in, his whole body vibrating with the thrusts.

The occasional clamping down of inner muscles around his cock forced Draco to come too and he buried his face in Harry's neck, biting him to stifle his screams while shooting his load in Harry's eager body. Harry's arse milked him completely and Draco fell to his side, sliding out of Harry with a soft squelching sound, making the other man wince a bit.

Draco gathered him in his arms and kissed him leisurely.

"Did you like it?" he asked exhausted.

"Of course I loved it, Draco. Couldn't you tell?" Harry asked, smiling tiredly.

"Just making sure you don't regret it," he whispered.

Harry snuggled against him, his one leg trapped between Draco's legs. "I'm not regretting one single thing of what happened. In fact I would like for it to happen again," he smiled shyly.

"Good," Draco murmured. "Because you're mine now. Mine to hold, to caress, to kiss, to make love to and to love. You're not going anywhere Potter. I'm not letting you go."

"I wouldn't dream of leaving you," Harry smiled tenderly and they shared one last sweet kiss before falling asleep, totally exhausted, but satisfied.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: nothing serious for now. Just the meeting with Daphne and Harry's reaction to Draco's last present
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 25**

The next day Harry woke up, feeling rather sore, but it was a good sore and it reminded him of last night.

He turned his head and smiled when he saw that Draco was still sleeping. His arms were around Harry's waist and his head was buried in Harry's neck; it tickled his skin every time Draco exhaled.

He tried to sit up and lean against the headboard, but hissed when a flash of pain shot up his back and forced him to lie still again. All right, so maybe the sex had been a bit rougher than he had at first thought. He hoped that Draco had stocked up on pain relieving potions, because he didn't want to be in pain the whole day.

He looked at Draco when he felt him moving next to him. A moment later, grey eyes opened and stared at him sleepily, not really registering who he was looking at.

"Harry?" Draco murmured dazed.

"Hm," Harry chuckled.

Then it finally registered in Draco's mind that yes, he was lying naked in bed with an equally naked Harry and yes, they had had sex last night. At that, Draco shot up and was suddenly clearly awake.

"Harry!"

Harry sighed and stared at him incredulously. "What, Draco? It's too early to make a fuss already," he said dryly and searched the nightstand for his glasses, looking triumphantly when he managed to locate them at his first try.

"We had sex last night!"

"Yes, I noticed that – and felt it," Harry added the last part after he had moved again and winced. "Has it finally registered in your mind?"

"Shut up." Draco scowled. "I just wasn't expecting it so early. I thought you would want to wait for at least two months more."

"If you're against it, I can always wait another two months before we have sex again," Harry retorted, getting amused at the horrified look Draco got when he said that.

"Harry, I'm begging you to not wait another two months. I'll give you everything you want as long as you don't deny me your wonderful body ever again," Draco said with wide eyes and a pleading look on his face.

Harry laughed and swatted his arm. "Shut up, you moron."

"How are you feeling?" Draco sobered up and lay down again, trailing his hand up and down on Harry's stomach.

"Sore. Do you have a pain relieving potion?" Harry asked, grimacing.

Draco grinned. "Sure; I think I'll stock more on that potion from now on." He leered at Harry's body.

Harry went red and smacked the nearest pale arm in reach. "You idiot!"

Draco laughed and stood up from bed. Harry looked away when Draco's naked body came into his view and Draco smirked when he noticed that.

"What's wrong, Harry? It's nothing that you haven't seen before." He winked.

"Just … shut up and get the potion," Harry muttered and flung one of his white pillows at Draco's head.

The other man snickered and ducked out of the way of the projectile and conjured up a bath robe, because he had to go to the bathroom to get the potion and if one of the boys were awake, he didn't want to scare them.

Harry huffed and crossed his arms after he had finally managed to sit up in bed. The nerve of Draco to tease him!

He looked up when a vial entered his vision; he was surprised that he hadn't heard the door opening.

"Here, take this; it will help," Draco informed him and slid back in bed, setting a bag next to him.

Harry uncorked the vial and grimaced when the potion left a foul taste after he had swallowed it. Seriously, was it too much to ask for a potion that didn't taste like it had been rotten for five years?

"Pain gone?" Draco asked and placed the vial on the nightstand.

Harry nodded and relaxed. That is until he saw the shopping bag standing innocently on the bed.

"What's in that?" he asked curiously and reached for it. He was stopped by Draco who put his hand on the bag. He looked up frowning and raised an eyebrow when he saw Draco biting his lip and apparently contemplating something.

Now that Harry was looking at the bag, Draco wasn't certain anymore whether he should start on the concept of a child together. Hell, they had only made love for the first time yesterday and they were only together for nearly two months and here he was already starting on the topic of a possible child together. He furrowed his eyebrows; would Harry hit him if he talked about a baby?

"Draco, what's in the bag?" Harry asked impatiently.

Draco took a deep breath and decided to take a plunge in the deep end. Whatever the outcome would be of this conversation, he would at least know where he stood on the topic 'baby together'.

"Here; it's something I bought a few weeks ago," Draco said nervously and handed over the bag, watching how Harry took out the shirt with a face of wonder.

Harry was stunned when his hand touched something soft and delicate in the bag. Carefully he pulled it out of the bag and realized that the soft and delicate thing was in fact an emerald coloured shirt. He laid it in front of him, spread out on the bed and stroked the soft texture.

"Do you like it?" Draco asked hopefully.

"Yes, it's beautiful, but …" Harry frowned when he noticed the size of the shirt. It wasn't that big, but it would hang loosely around his waist area. "Why did you buy a size too big? Didn't you know my size? I could have given it to you if you had just asked it, you know."

At this a nervous smile appeared on Draco's face and Harry got suspicious.

"Well, eh, you see, the reason why this shirt is a size too big for you is because … it's a maternity shirt," Draco ended in a rush, his body tensing in case he had to make a run for it.

Harry stared at him, his eyes growing darker with every minute that passed by and Draco had a feeling it wasn't because he was getting excited about it. Or horny. Draco had preferred that last one.

"What the fuck were you thinking when you bought this?" Harry hissed finally, his green eyes glowing unnaturally and his hands were clenched in the sheets.

"Now, Harry, there is an explanation for this," Draco began nervously.

"What explanation? What the hell is it with you Malfoys and the idea of me pregnant?" Harry asked outraged. It had been funny, though quite embarrassing when Scorpius had thought he would give him a brother or sister to play with, but now that Draco had even bought him a maternity shirt, the joke was going too far. It wasn't funny anymore and he had half a mind to just throttle Draco.

"Listen Harry …" Draco started again, desperately wanting to set things right. From Harry's reaction he had gathered that Harry didn't know men could get pregnant. He had thought he would have known about it, considering he had been living in the Wizarding world for a long time now. Now he would have to explain about male pregnancy too. And he had thought he would have had a difficult time talking about a baby to Harry. This would make things more difficult.

"No, you listen!" Harry pointed his finger at him and Draco gulped and immediately shut up, not wanting to anger Harry further. "If I ever hear you talking about me pregnant again, I will cut off your balls and feed them to your hawk before cursing you so badly you will have to remain in a wheelchair if you ever wanted to move again," he hissed and grabbed a sheet, pulling it around him before making his way out of the room and Draco heard that bathroom door open before it was slammed shut again to which Draco winced.

All right; when he had envisioned this particular conversation he hadn't thought Harry would get _this_ furious about it. He hadn't even gotten that far as to _actually_ _ask_ Harry what he thought about having a baby of their own. Draco grimaced and carefully folded the shirt back up before putting it away in the bag and deciding that it was probably for the best if he would hide the garment and ask Harry on a later date again when he had calmed down enough and would be willing to talk about it without lashing out.

Draco sighed and rubbed his forehead. He so hadn't envisioned a fight to happen after they had made love for the first time. But of course, he should have expected that with their explosive history.

He was left wondering if he should stay out of Harry's sight for a few days or if he should dare to associate again with him.

* * *

To say Harry was angry was an understatement. He was pissed off. He couldn't believe Draco would take the joke that far as to actually buy a maternity shirt. Didn't that guy have any shame?

Furiously he started to scrub his body in the shower and he only stopped the hard assault on his poor, defenseless skin when it started to burn. He panted slightly and looked down to see very red skin. He sighed and let his head drop against the wall, letting the warm water cool him off.

If Draco dared to bring up pregnancy again, he would kick his arse. Now it was time for breakfast and check whether the boys were already up.

* * *

When Draco tiptoed in the dining room, he saw the table filled with all sorts of breakfast; Harry was sitting between Scorpius and Teddy, who each had their own pet on their lap. They were simultaneously eating and feeding their pets. Draco glowered at the ferret sitting on his son's lap. Damn ferrets.

He took a seat right in front of Harry and looked at him nervously, wondering whether it was a safe move to sit in reach of Harry.

Harry just looked up with a sigh. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

Draco smiled nervously and reached out to take a cup of coffee.

"Look, papa, I named my ferret Ivory," Scorpius smiled and took a small paw of the ferret to wave it at Draco. "He says hi."

"That's a … beautiful name," Draco said with a strained smile.

Harry snorted and hid his amused smile behind his cup of warm chocolate milk. He knew he had made a good choice when he chose that ferret.

"Thank you, papa! I named him that because his fur is so white. He's pretty, right, papa?" Scorpius asked enthusiastically.

A grey eye twitched. "Yes, he's … pretty," Draco forced himself to say. Harry would so pay for this. If he complained about being sore now, he just had to wait until Draco showed him how sore he could make him. Draco smirked at that particular thought and Harry got wary at seeing that. Whatever Draco was thinking, it somehow involved him and that was probably not a good sign.

"Tell Draco what you named your kitten, Teddy," Harry smiled and hoped that it would be enough to distract Draco for a bit.

"I named him Dagda," Teddy murmured and stroked behind the big ears, which earned him a loud purr and a lick on his hand.

"You named him after a god?" Draco asked surprised.

Teddy bit his lower lip. "Yes, is that wrong?"

"No, not at all; just surprised you knew that name, that is all," Draco smiled reassuringly.

"I found it in a book," Teddy mumbled in explanation.

Seeing the owl bringing in the newspaper, reminded Draco of Daphne's letter, requesting a visit to her son. He realized he hadn't told Scorpius about his mother's visit.

"Scorpius, I forgot to tell you this sooner, but your mother is going to visit you in the week of the first January," Draco told him.

Scorpius perked up at the mention of his mother. He had missed her. It was a lot of fun living with his father and if he really had to choose between his father and his mother, he would probably choose for his father (of course now that he had another daddy, it made his choice more obvious), but sometimes he missed his mother too. She always smelled nice and her hugs were comfortable.

"Really?" he smiled surprised.

His papa nodded.

Suddenly Scorpius remembered his daddy sitting next to him. He bit his lip and looked uncertainly at his papa. "Will daddy have to leave then?" he asked warily.

At this, both Harry and Draco looked uncertainly at each other. Teddy too looked up, wanting to know if he would go with his dad to their old home, staying there during Scorpius' mother's stay.

"Well, I actually don't know," Harry began uncertainly, tapping his fingers on the table. "Maybe it is best if I left with Teddy back to our place until Daphne leaves again."

"Now why would you do that?" Draco asked surprised.

Harry raised an eyebrow, looking at the other incredulously. "Well, I don't know … Maybe because it would get awkward if I stayed with Teddy while your _ex-wife_ is visiting?" he asked, emphasizing the word ex-wife.

Draco blinked and chuckled. "There won't be any problems. Daphne knows that I'm partial to men and she doesn't have a problem with that."

"That wasn't exactly what I'm talking about, Draco," Harry sighed. "I figured out already she knew of your preferences; I'm just asking if she wouldn't have a problem with _me_ being your partner."

Only then did Draco realize that of course Daphne probably didn't know of his relationship with Harry, because she didn't read any newspapers. She divided her time between her husband Blaise and travelling over the world.

"I'm sure she won't have a problem with that. But maybe I should tell her that before she arrives, to avoid … mishaps," Draco mused.

"Seems like a smart idea to me," Harry replied drily.

"I'm going to send her the letter now, in case the owl takes a long time to arrive at her home," Draco sighed and stood up. He ruffled Scorpius' hair on his way out.

Scorpius, while feeling relieved that his daddy and his brother would stay at their home, was feeling worried that his daddy was sad now that his mother would visit him.

"Daddy, are you sad that mummy is going to visit me?" Scorpius asked worriedly.

Daddy looked at him surprised. "Why would I be sad?"

"Because you are going to have to share papa and me with mummy," Scorpius explained as if it was obvious.

Teddy rolled his eyes; of course Scorpius would think that.

Harry chuckled. "Don't worry, Scorpius, I'm sure your mummy and I will get along just fine. Besides it's not for long that I have to share your papa."

Scorpius beamed.

_Well, at least I hope Daphne won't be too angry_ , Harry thought apprehensively.

* * *

Harry was reading one of his books about Healing on the couch in the living room near the fire, when Teddy entered the room and snuggled against his side. Absently Harry reached out and hugged his godson with one arm, using his other hand to turn the page. He had just started reading about head injuries and what to do in that case, when Teddy interrupted him.

"Dad, are we going to see grandmother this vacation?" he asked curiously, taking a quick glance at the page and gulped when he saw an image of a human's head whose hair had been removed to show that there was a piece out of the skull. Teddy quickly looked away, not ready to lose his breakfast.

"Hm? What did you say, Teddy?" Harry mumbled, still attentively reading the page.

"I asked if we were going to visit grandmother," Teddy repeated patiently, already used to the lack of attention his dad exhibited when he was reading something interesting.

Finally his dad looked up and marked the page, before closing it. He blinked and looked at Teddy. "Yes, I talked with your grandmother and she said we could visit her the day after New Year," he replied, smiling.

"Are Draco and Scorpius coming with us?" Teddy asked apprehensively. He wasn't sure he was ready to share his grandmother with Draco and Scorpius. It was bad enough he already had to share his dad.

Harry shook his head. "No, your grandmother has a … nasty history with the mother of Draco and she thought it would be wise to see us alone instead of bringing them along with us."

Teddy sighed relieved. For now his bond with his grandmother was safe.

Harry looked at him curiously, but seeing Teddy looking contently, he decided it was nothing and was soon engrossed again in his book, while Teddy had grabbed a book of his own to read.

* * *

Against his wishes, Harry was rather nervous to meet Daphne Greengrass. While they were in school, they had never interacted with each other. Harry's interactions with Slytherins had been limited to Crabbe, Goyle, Draco, Pansy and Blaise. Not only was he a Gryffindor, he was now also the partner of Draco Malfoy – who was her former husband. So Harry really didn't have a clue as to how she would react to seeing him here in the manor. But if things got worse, he could always escape tomorrow with Teddy to Andromeda.

"Relax, Harry, she's not going to eat you," Draco remarked amused.

Harry scowled at him. "It's not the eating I'm worried about," he muttered darkly.

Draco snickered and gave him a quick kiss on his mouth. "I'm sure it will work out fine."

"It better does," Harry mumbled and unconsciously started tugging at his shirt.

Draco, who got irritated by that, grabbed his hand and refused to let go of it, which slightly amused Harry.

Teddy and Scorpius were sitting on the couch – well, Teddy was sitting calmly; Scorpius was bouncing up and down in his excitement to see his mummy again.

Finally, a house elf popped into the living room, telling them that 'Mistress Daphne arrived'.

Indeed, one minute later, Daphne Greengrass entered the room, spelling her coat dry. She sighed and placed her suitcase on the floor, which was immediately removed by a house elf to her room.

"Draco, darling, good to see you again," Daphne smiled and walked over to kiss Draco on his cheek.

"I'm pleased to see you again too, Daphne," Draco smiled warmly. He had no ill feelings towards his former wife. Their marriage after all had just been practical; Draco got his son and Daphne got an amount of money to last her for a few years. Even so, Draco sneaked a glance at Harry to see if he wasn't disturbed by their greeting, but Harry just stood there relaxed, although his green eyes were looking sharply at Daphne. Draco wasn't sure if that was because he was a bit jealous of her or if it was his natural instinct to pay close attention to a Slytherin he didn't know.

"Mummy!" Scorpius squealed and threw himself in her arms, hugging her tightly.

Daphne, who wasn't normally very affectionate due to her cold upbringing, hugged her son tightly back and kissed his forehead.

"Scorpius, sweetie! I missed you," Daphne smiled warmly and settled him on her hip.

"I miss you too, mummy," Scorpius chirped and brought his small arms around Daphne's slender neck.

Brown eyes zeroed in on Harry. "Hello Potter; it was a … surprise when I received Draco's letter wherein he mentioned you." Her voice was cool, but not hostile. She sounded more curious than anything else.

Harry stamped down the urge to fidget. It felt like he was scrutinized as if to check he was worthy of living here.

"Don't worry; it's still a surprise to me that I'm here," he retorted dryly.

Surprise flitted over Daphne's face for a moment; she clearly had not expected that kind of come back. She smirked. "I'm sure you're surprised. If you don't mind me asking, _how_ come you're here?"

Harry pointedly looked at Scorpius, who was smiling innocently. "You'll have to thank your son for that."

Daphne looked down at Scorpius. "Care to explain why I have you to thank to bring Potter here, Scorpius?"

Scorpius bit on his lip, his eyes widening. "I wanted to find a second daddy. And papa likes daddy." He shrugged.

The corners of her mouth twitched as if she had to hold back laughter. "You two were convinced to date … because of a six year old boy," she clarified.

Draco blushed very lightly, but otherwise remained unruffled. "What can I say?" He shrugged. "My son has good taste." He winked at Harry who smacked his arm.

Daphne placed her son down. Scorpius flashed her a grin and toddled over to Harry, raising his arms, silently pleading to be picked up. Daphne watched with interest how Potter almost automatically bent down to pick up the small boy and settles him on his hip.

Her eyes caught a movement behind Potter and one of her eyebrows went up when she saw a boy with black, shaggy hair and ice blue eyes staring at her. It was slightly unnerving to be subjected to such an intense gaze from a young boy.

"May I ask who that is?" she asked and nodded to the boy.

Potter glanced behind him and smiled. "His name is Teddy Lupin. He's my godson."

Another eyebrow joined the first one. "Lupin? As in the son of Professor Lupin?"

Teddy bit his lip, but refused to back down from the lady's gaze.

Potter nodded. "Yes."

"And you're his godfather? How is that possible?" Daphne asked confused. As far as she knew, Potter didn't have any bond with the dead teacher.

"Because he asked me," Potter smiled thinly.

She opened her mouth to ask for more information, but a warning glare of Draco shut her up. She huffed and crossed her arms.

Potter glanced between her and Draco, as if suspecting that Draco had somehow warned her, but Draco was staring outside, seemingly interested in the snow that was slowly falling out of the sky.

"Draco, do you mind if I talk to Potter alone for a few minutes?" she asked, shrugging off her coat and placing it on the back of the nearest couch.

Draco looked confused, but replied, "Fine, as long as Harry doesn't mind it." He looked expectantly at Potter who just shrugged.

"I have no problem with that," he muttered, though his posture was tense as if he was preparing for a fight.

"Scorpius, why don't you go with your daddy for a few moments, while I talk to Potter?" Daphne suggested. "After we're done, I'm taking you out to the playground."

Potter placed him down on the floor and Scorpius clapped his hands. "Okay, mummy." He giggled and skipped to his father.

"Teddy, would you mind following Draco too?" Harry muttered and stroked the black hair.

Teddy looked uncertainly, not exactly sure whether it was a good idea to leave his dad behind with a woman he didn't know, but nodded eventually. "Okay, dad," he mumbled and after a quick hug he followed Draco out of the room.

Daphne waited until the door was closed before turning back to Potter.

"Why don't we sit down for a moment?" she suggested and chose a chair near the door while Potter chose the couch he was standing next to.

"Now before you start to have strange ideas, I have nothing against you having a relationship with Draco," she started.

"No? Why not?" Potter asked confused. "I mean you're his former wife after all."

"I love him in the sense of a dear friend, Potter, not in the sense of a lover," she clarified.

"Then why did you marry him?" Potter raised an eyebrow.

Daphne sighed; it figured that a Gryffindor wouldn't understand the concept of a practical marriage without love. Those bloody Gryffindors all thought you needed love to marry. Well, in the case of her marriage with Blaise it was love. She thought fondly of her husband who was currently on a business trip in Germany and would return home in a week. Her marriage to Draco had been practical; she could use the money and Draco had wanted a child.

"Didn't Draco tell you the reason why he married me?" she asked.

Potter shook his head and crossed his arms, leaning back against the couch; however he never relaxed his tense body and kept looking sharply at her, ready to fire a spell if she attempted to do something.

"Listen, our marriage was practical. Draco wanted a child and I had no problem giving him that. I stayed long enough to nurse Scorpius, but then Draco and I decided it was time to part ways and filed a divorce," she explained patiently.

Potter looked sceptically, but didn't reply.

"What I now want to know is whether you genuinely like Draco or whether you're just fucking with his mind," she suddenly hissed, her brown eyes shooting fire.

At once Potter sat up, looking at her wary now. "Excuse me?" he asked incredulously. "Why would I fuck with his mind?"

"Potter, you know as well as I do that you and Draco don't have a nice history together. I distinctly recall that you hit him with a Sectumsempra curse when you were in your sixth year," she answered sharply and her hand went to her wand hidden in her sleeve.

Potter caught the movement and in a flash had his wand trained at her. "Don't you even try to take out your wand," he growled. "I didn't know what the spell would do to him. He wanted to Crucio me."

"And that makes it all right that you used an illegal dark spell on him that could have caused him to die?" she asked icely, still not removing her hand of her wand.

Frustrated, Potter raked his hand through his hair, messing it up even further. "No, it doesn't make it right and I feel guilty for it. I apologized to him for that, but the fact remains that I didn't know what the spell was capable of _and_ he was trying to Crucio me."

Daphne opened her mouth to protest, but Potter interrupted her.

"Tell me, Mrs. Zabini, if someone you considered your enemy was trying to Crucio you, would you just keep standing there doing nothing or try and defend yourself?" he asked rhetorically.

Daphne closed her mouth, reluctantly agreeing to Potter's explanation.

Potter took a deep breath and relaxed a bit when he saw that she had removed her hand from her wand. Knowing that he wasn't in direct danger of being cursed, he lowered his wand as well.

"Still it was uncalled of me to use that spell and I wished I could turn back time to prevent it from ever happening. However, that's not possible, so we just have to live with it," he said calmly.

For a while, they just studied each other.

It was Daphne who broke the tense silence by sighing. "You still haven't answered my question, Potter," she said softly.

Potter breathed out slowly, knowing which question she meant. "No, I'm not trying to fuck with his mind. I really like Draco," he answered just as softly.

"But you don't love him?" she asked, a bit amused.

Potter blushed. "It's a bit too early to already say that I love him, don't you think?" he replied defensively.

"Oh, touchy," she smirked and raised her hands in the air. "Relax Potter; I'm happy to hear that you like Draco. It would have been most unfortunate for you if I had heard something else." She smiled sweetly.

"I don't doubt that," Potter muttered darkly.

Suddenly Daphne's face cleared up and Potter was once again wary.

"So, did you already have sex with him?" she asked brightly.

Potter chocked on air. "Excuse me? I'm not answering that!" he exclaimed, but his red face gave him away.

Daphne giggled and Potter stared at her in astonishment, wondering if he had tumbled in a parallel universe, because there was no way that a Slytherin would ever giggle.

"Draco is amazing in bed, don't you agree?" she smirked.

Potter reddened even more, but didn't dignify her with an answer, except for an annoyed huff.

She giggled again and stood up. "Well, now that I'm assured of your good intentions I can leave Draco to you. Now may I be as bold to give you this present?"

She handed him a small, red package and Potter took it with a suspicious face. It felt very light.

"What's in this?" Potter looked up at her curiously.

She smirked. "That's just something which I think Draco will appreciate it if you used it every once in a while." She winked at him and then exited the room.

Harry was left staring at the door, feeling apprehensive at the content of the box. What could possibly be in it that Draco would appreciate? Well, he had no other choice than to open it if he ever wanted to know what was in it.

He ripped the paper carefully as to not cut himself on the paper. He had had a paper cut many times during his school time and it had hurt like a bitch every time.

His head felt like it would explode when he finally discovered the content of the box. Horrified he looked at it. He should have cursed her when he had the chance. Honestly what had that woman been thinking?

It was a pair of red, fluffy handcuffs.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: well, nothing special - except for the second lemon with a little bit of bondage. Oh and a drunk Harry
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 26**

Harry didn't know how fast to get rid of the handcuffs. He would die of shame if Draco saw these – and he shuddered to think of what would go through Draco's head when he saw the handcuffs. He slipped out of the room when he was sure that nobody was in the hallway and hurried up the stairs to his room, quickly closing the door. His eyes searched the whole room, trying to find the perfect spot to hide his 'gift'.

He nearly yelped in surprise when he heard Draco's voice close to his room saying, "Harry? Where are you? Daphne has left with Scorpius to take him out."

Almost diving to it, Harry stuffed the box with the handcuffs underneath the bed, shoving it a bit further underneath it to make sure Draco wouldn't notice it.

He quickly turned around when the door opened and Draco appeared in the doorway.

"Harry, what were you doing in here?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I was looking for a … document," Harry replied slowly.

Draco stared at him. "What kind of document?"

"Just something I needed to read." Harry waved his hand and slipped out of the room, his arm brushing against Draco's.

Draco frowned, but followed Harry downstairs.

"How long will Daphne be out with Scorpius?" Harry asked curiously.

Draco shrugged. "Until dinner which is …" He looked at his watch. "In three hours."

Harry nodded and plopped down on the couch in the living room, Teddy joining him soon, cuddling to his side.

"What did the lady say to you, dad?" Teddy asked curiously.

Draco settled down on Harry's other side and smirked. "Yes, that's something I want to know as well. You two couldn't have gotten in a fight, considering you both seem fine."

Harry rolled his eyes. "No, we didn't get into a fight. She just wanted to make sure that I didn't play a joke on you with this relationship."

Draco snorted. "As if. Your Gryffindor nature wouldn't allow you to play a joke on me."

"You know - I was almost sorted into Slytherin," Harry mused, smirking when he felt Draco staring at him.

Teddy looked up at him surprised. "Really, dad? How come you were a Gryffindor then?"

"Because Draco had been a jerk to me and I decided that I didn't want to share a dorm with a twat like him," Harry smirked.

"Hey, you were the one who denied my offer of friendship," Draco interjected insulted, still slightly shocked to hear that the great Harry Potter, the poster child of the Light could have been sorted into Slytherin. He wondered how things would have turned out if Harry had indeed accepted to be sorted into his House.

"Like I said earlier, you were a jerk. How did you expect me to accept your offer of friendship when you were being all high and mighty and arrogant?" Harry asked amused.

"I was sometimes an arrogant snot, wasn't I?" Draco murmured.

"Sometimes?" Harry snorted and yelped when Draco smacked his thigh.

"Dad, how late are we leaving tomorrow to go to grandmother?" Teddy asked curiously.

"I was thinking about leaving at nine a.m. She's anxious to see you again," Harry smiled.

"I want to see her too! I missed her," Teddy smiled excitedly.

Draco sighed. "Too bad I can't come with you. I would have loved to get to know my aunt better," he muttered disappointed. He never had had any problems with his Black relatives, but because his mother had refused to let him visit his Aunt Andromeda (he had met his Aunt Bellatrix multiple times, but he had always been relieved when she finally left. She must have been the craziest witch the world had ever known; Draco still shivered when he remembered her burning, crazy eyes) and his cousin Sirius had been in Azkaban, he had never met someone from his mother's side. Teddy was actually his closest family, besides Andromeda.

"Just give her some time," Harry soothed him. "She'll get used to you eventually, but now she just needs some time. She wasn't expecting that I would end up with you after all."

"How did she react to the Weasley?" Draco asked interested. Harry had received a card from her in which she wished him a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, but she hadn't asked for another meeting for which Draco was happy. He didn't think he could stand having his holiday ruined by seeing her ugly face. Besides if he had to see her flirting with Harry one more time, his hand would accidentally slip and hex her. Not that it would be his fault of course.

"Grandmother didn't like her," Teddy replied and sounded satisfied. "She said that no girl can be trusted when she wears a skirt that can act like a belt or something like that."

"Teddy! I didn't think you would have heard that," Harry said a bit pale. He could have sworn Teddy had still been asleep when he had had that particular conversation with Andromeda. That had been a few months before Harry had discovered she was cheating on him. He was grateful that Andromeda never had said 'I told you so', when he told her about the break up.

Teddy shrugged. "I woke up, because one of grandmother's cats was trying to steal my sheets."

Draco decided he already liked the aunt he had never had met. She obviously had people knowledge. That trait must have come from the Black family apparently.

"You know if you would close your door, her cat wouldn't try to steal your sheets," Harry chuckled.

Teddy pouted and crossed his arms. "I always close my door, but that cat manages to open it every time!" he exclaimed. Grandmother's cats were not magical, but they weren't normal either. Teddy swore they could open doors and open packets to get to their food. Cats were very sneaky, little creatures. The ones who claimed that apes were the most intelligent creatures on earth after the humans, had obviously never studied a cat. Teddy was willing to bet that cats were even smarter than apes.

"Where is Dagda?" Harry looked around, searching for the little fur ball.

"He's sleeping on my bed. He tired himself out with running after one of his mice." Teddy snickered when he remembered how furious Dagda had been, because Teddy had been dangling the toy mouse in front of his face, but kept it out of reach for a while.

"And Ivory?"

"That damned creature settled himself around my son's neck and is out too." Draco scowled. "I hope he drowns in that lake," he added darkly.

"That's not nice, Draco. Scorpius really likes his new pet," Harry chided amused.

"You're evil; you're just plain evil." Draco shook his head.

Harry just smirked in reply.

* * *

Since it was the beginning of a new year, the house elves had made sure to make enough food to feed a small army. Draco had invited his godfather, but Snape had sneered and had retorted that he had no desire to spend another holiday together with the 'evil spawn' of James Potter. Draco was now sure that Severus would start taking a liking to Harry. It was only a matter of time.

Daphne had decided to stay for three days to spend more time with her son. They had had a lovely day in the park and Scorpius told them excitedly about all the things he had done with his mother.

Daphne for her part just sipped of her champagne while quietly listening to her son's chatter and keeping an eye on Potter and Draco. Whenever Draco thought nobody was looking he would touch Potter on more inappropriate places and Daphne was tempted many times to tell them that they were not alone and should keep the messing around when they were in their own bedroom. But in the end she didn't, only because it would make good blackmail later.

Her son had been most delighted to tell her everything about Harry Potter and how he was such a sweet daddy and that Scorpius couldn't wait until his papa put a baby in his daddy's belly. Only her training as a pureblood had kept Daphne from laughing. She could already imagine a pregnant Potter and was peeved to realize that he would actually look rather cute with a round belly. She made sure to remember Draco that once Potter was pregnant, she would get to be the godmother. If only to teach the child how to annoy his or her parents. Daphne smirked at that thought. Yes, she would love being a godmother very much.

When it was ten p.m. they decided to send the boys to bed. Scorpius and Teddy had been nodding off frequently and they had started yawning a little while after they had had dessert.

After kissing the three adults (Teddy had been shy at first to give Daphne a kiss, but she had told him he could call her Aunt Daphne and that he didn't need to be shy to give her a kiss), Daphne grabbed each boy by their hand and led them upstairs to their room. She had noticed how much Potter had been drinking and she didn't think he would have stayed upright if he had to guide the two boys to their bedrooms.

* * *

Harry was sure he had never drunk so much in his life as now. Whenever he looked at Daphne, he would be reminded of the box with handcuffs lying underneath his bed and his face would heat up at the thought. He was trying to drown the memories of the handcuffs with the champagne the house elves kept bringing to the table, but had to admit that maybe getting drunk wasn't his best idea. Of course by the time he had finally realized that, he was already slightly drunk. Not drunk enough to pass out, but just enough to relax and feel his boundaries expand.

By the time that Daphne was bringing Scorpius and Teddy to bed, he was already all over Draco, kissing his neck and rubbing his hands over his chest. Draco had never looked sexier as now and Harry vaguely wondered how long it would take to get them both upstairs and out of their clothes.

Draco himself was only slightly tipsy. Despite being brought up with many parties and meetings with alcohol, because the Malfoy family was very rich and famous, he had never liked the notion of getting drunk and not having complete control over his body. He liked to know what he was doing and only allowed himself a few glasses of champagne before switching to water.

But if there was one thing he enjoyed about booze, then it was the effect they had on Harry. Booze, he discovered, made Harry very flirty and touchy, which were two things he didn't object against. He had made sure that Harry drank water as well, because he had no desire to see his lover passing out from the alcohol. He wondered if Harry always drank this much or if he only reserved it for special occasions like now. Thank Merlin he had kept his hands off of Draco, until the boys were brought to their beds. That was something he didn't want to show the boys.

"Hm, Draco, do you know what I wanna do right now?" Harry whispered seductively in his ear, making Draco shiver. His voice had only the slightest hint of a slur, but Draco grabbed Harry's glass and placed it on the table next to him. Harry had had enough for this evening.

He put his arms around Harry's waist and pulled him to his chest. "No, what do you want to do?" he purred and kissed Harry's eyelids.

"I wanna go to our bedroom now and," Harry embraced his neck, trailing kisses from his chin to his collarbone, "I want you to fuck me," he breathed and his green eyes were sparkling in the light of the candles.

Now, like every other healthy twenty-six year old, Draco was very tempted to say yes to that particular suggestion, especially when Harry said it with those alluring eyes and his hips rolling against his. However, he didn't want Harry to regret what they did when morning came and he was sober again. He didn't think Harry would appreciate him taking advantage of his slightly drunk state, even though it was difficult to say no to him now.

Draco bit his lip and groaned softly. The one time Harry made the first move to fuck, it had to be the time that he was drunk.

"Harry, I don't think that's a good idea," he sighed, his hands rubbing Harry's back.

"No, it's a very good idea," Harry grinned and his hands fiddled with the buttons on Draco's blue shirt. "It's a very good idea, you fucking me into the mattress." He nipped at Draco's ear and Draco moaned; his ears were very sensitive.

"You're going to regret us fucking when you wake up tomorrow sober, Harry," Draco tried to convince him.

Harry giggled. "I'm not drunk. And believe me, I won't be regretting us fucking in the morning. I promise, Dray." He brought his body closer to Draco's lean, taller one. "Please, Draco, please fuck me."

Before Draco could protest, Harry had pressed his lips against him and was kissing him very passionately, almost aggressive when he pushed his tongue in his mouth, swirling it around his tongue. Draco tasted the bitter, bubbly taste of the champagne and Harry's own unique taste. He moaned and forced Harry's legs open, bringing his thigh between them, sliding his leg higher and higher until he pushed against Harry's groin. He sneaked his hand between their bodies and cupped Harry's throbbing one, softly squeezing it, making the other man whimper and pant.

Draco gasped in surprise when a warm hand grabbed his member and started to squeeze it.

Green eyes looked at him triumphantly. "Seems I'm not the only one with a problem. I can make it better." He winked and licked his lips.

Draco groaned and let his head fall on Harry's shoulder. Dear Merlin, but Harry Potter was going to be the death of him, the fucking tease.

A soft, discreet cough made him look up and he felt his cheeks redden when he saw Daphne standing in the doorway smirking with a knowing glint in her eyes.

"I'm tired, so I'm going to bed now. It seems to me that you're going to be busy, so make sure not to forget the silencing spells, all right Draco?" Daphne smirked and had the audacity to wink at him.

"Daphne, you!" he growled, but Daphne just laughed and skipped away. His ex-wife could be so annoying at times.

"Draco, I wanna go to bed too," Harry smiled and grabbed his hand. While Draco had been distracted by Daphne, Harry had managed to undo all the annoying buttons on the shirt that hid Draco's chest from him and he couldn't wait to touch him and kiss him again. He had enough presence of mind to wait until they were in the bedroom.

Draco, misunderstanding Harry's words, smiled, thinking Harry had grown tired from the booze in his system and wanted to go to sleep. He tried to convince himself that sleeping now was a good idea, even though his lower half didn't seem to agree with him.

"Of course, Harry, we'll go to bed now," he chuckled and let Harry lead him out of the room, laughing softly when Harry pulled at his hand impatiently on the stairs.

When they finally arrived in the bedroom, Harry closed the door and tried to locate his wand. After five minutes of searching he realized he had dropped it somewhere in the room when he was in here in the afternoon.

"Draco, do you want to cast the silencing spell?" Harry asked, already pulling his sweater over his head.

Draco frowned, not knowing why they would need a silencing spell when they would go to sleep, but shrugged and casted the spell, placing his wand on the nightstand when he was done.

He too started to undress himself until he was only left in boxers. Harry turned around to face him and his eyes gleamed when they caught sight of his naked chest.

"Aren't you going to put your pyjamas on?" Draco asked and snuggled down in the bed, holding the sheets open for Harry to join him.

Harry shook his head chuckling. "No, I won't need them," he grinned and slipped between the sheets, settling himself on Draco's lap.

Draco got a light shock when Harry brushed their hips together and his lower body responded enthusiastically. Draco cursed his traitorous body.

"Harry, I thought you said you wanted to go to sleep?" he hinted, trying to keep his body under control. It was a futile attempt; what else had he expected when he had Harry sitting half naked on top of him?

"I never said I wanted to sleep," Harry grinned and brought their chests together, shivering at the warm contact. "I said I wanted to go to bed. And what do you do in bed?"

"Eh, sleeping?" Draco offered lamely.

Harry rolled his eyes; clearly he wasn't as drunk as Draco had suspected him to be if he could still roll his eyes like that.

"No, you idiot, I meant that other thing," Harry smiled and gave him a quick kiss on his mouth, rolling his hips again.

Draco took a deep breath, apologized to his lower body, gripped Harry's hips and flipped them over, Harry now lying on his back.

"Hm, I knew you would see it my way," Harry purred and licked his lip.

Draco shuddered at seeing that action; cursed his perfect upbringing, but sighed. "Harry, we're going to sleep now. It's not a good idea now to have sex with you."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Why not? Am I not good enough anymore now that you had your fill?" he demanded to know and Draco winced when Harry's fingers dug into his arms.

"No, Harry, don't be stupid. It's not that you're not good enough, it's that I don't want to fuck you when you're drunk. I don't want you to regret this in the morning," Draco explained patiently.

Harry pouted, his lower lip sticking out, tempting Draco to suck on it. "But I already told you that I won't regret anything," he reminded him.

"You're saying that now, but I'm sure you'll say something else in the morning." Draco gave him a soft kiss on his lip, backing away before Harry could make the kiss deeper. "Good night, Harry," he whispered and put the lights out.

He heard Harry huff and the rustling of the sheets when Harry turned around.

Draco sighed softly and pinched his nose, but didn't give in. Harry would thank him for this later when he was sober again. He uncrossed his legs and winced when his hand brushed across his lower stomach. Great, now he had that problem as well. There was nothing else to do than to try and go to sleep, ignoring his little problem.

He had just closed his eyes when he felt Harry grabbing his hands and bringing them up to the headboard. Before he could ask Harry what he was doing, he suddenly felt something cold, but somehow fluffy circle around his wrists and closing around them. Immediately his eyes shot up, though they saw nothing but darkness.

"Harry, what did you do?" he asked and prided himself for managing to sound so calm.

He could practically feel Harry grinning when he settled himself back on his hips. He saw the outlines of Harry's body against the weak moonlight that managed to filter through the closed curtains.

Harry didn't think he would ever be grateful for Daphne for giving him those handcuffs as present. Seemed like they did have a good use after all.

"I handcuffed you to the bed," Harry smirked satisfied.

"How did you get those handcuffs and why did you handcuff me?" Draco asked and he tried to wriggle, hissing when the metal cut against his wrists. It wasn't sharp enough to draw blood – the fluff around it prevented that – but it was still digging into his flesh when he pulled too hard.

"Daphne gave those to me, saying you would appreciate it when I used them sometimes," Harry explained chuckling and his fingers trailed softly over Draco's chest, delighting in the way he made the other man shiver.

"Daphne gave you those handcuffs?" Draco huffed outraged. He hated her at this moment. Really. What had she been thinking when she bought that?

_But_ , a sneaky voice in the back of his head piped up, _you have to admit it's rather kinky, being handcuffed to the bed with Harry in charge._

He hated that voice at this moment too.

"Hmhm," Harry breathed and licked a path from Draco's cheekbone to his collarbone.

Draco opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off when he felt Harry's wet, hot mouth closing around his nipple and he began sucking on it, while one of his hands fondled his other nipple.

Harry didn't stop his assault until both his nipples were dark red and hard and he was left panting for more. Screw being an honest man – if Harry wanted him to fuck him, he would fuck him, consequences be damned. Harry would regret being a tease.

Harry smirked when he felt Draco's hard prick brushing against his opening and he wiggled his hips, chuckling breathlessly when Draco moaned.

"Do you really want me to stop, Draco?" he asked and sucked on his earlobe while his hand sneaked down to grab Draco's throbbing erection. He began to stroke it and squeezed the tip every time he reached it. He felt Draco trembling and his lips brushed the other one's mouth.

"Fuck no, don't you dare to stop now!" Draco hissed and bucked his hips.

"I'm not planning to," Harry whispered seductively and slowly hooked his fingers underneath the waistband of Draco's boxers, pulling them down and throwing them on the floor.

He stood up and he could feel Draco's burning eyes looking at him when he removed the last piece of his clothing. He kicked his boxers away and crawled back in bed, on top of Draco, moaning when their bare cocks brushed against each other.

"Merlin, Harry, I want you now," Draco groaned and tossed his head back, bucking his hips up, desperately wanting to be inside Harry again.

Harry kissed him again, deepening the kiss when he felt Draco pushing against him. Their tongues met and began to swirl around each other, each taking turns to suck on each other's tongue. Harry broke away panting, when breathing became an issue.

"Where's the lube?" he whispered; his hands rubbing over Draco's muscled stomach.

Draco blinked at that question and his brain, fogged over with lust, tried to remember where he had put that damn bottle.

"In the top drawer of your nightstand," he murmured and felt Harry bending over him to reach the nightstand.

He struggled against the bounds, desperately wanting to touch Harry and run his hands over that tanned body on top of him, but he had to content himself with sucking and biting on Harry's nipple.

Harry moaned loudly when he felt Draco sucking on his nipple and for a moment he faltered, caught in the feelings of lust and desire. His hand frantically searched the nightstand and he quickly snatched the bottle out of the drawer. He grabbed Draco's chin and kissed him again while his hands fumbled with the cap of the bottle. Finally he managed to open it and he squirted a copious amount of the lube on his hand before rubbing it all over Draco's cock.

Draco hissed when the cold gel touched his heated cock, but he was distracted by Harry sucking on his lower lip.

"Ha – Harry, you – you need to take these hand – handcuffs off, so that I – I can prepare you," he panted and groaned again when he felt Harry giving his cock a rough squeeze.

"No need," Harry told him and before Draco could ask what he meant, Harry had lifted himself, spread his arse cheeks and slowly slid down on Draco's length, grimacing when his entrance was stretched roughly. He knew he should have let Draco prepare him, but he hadn't wanted to wait any longer. He let his breath escape in a hiss and forced his muscles to relax. Eventually he had taken all of Draco in him and was fully seated on Draco's lap. His legs and arms were trembling with the effort it took him to keep still, letting his body adjust to the cock inside of him.

He clamped down when he felt Draco trying to move.

"Not yet," he said through clenched teeth and gripped Draco's waist.

Draco, who was having major trouble with not bucking his hips, bit on his lip. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. He hadn't thought Harry would take him in unprepared and winced at the thought on how much that had to burn. He didn't want to brag, but he wasn't exactly small.

"I'm okay," Harry assured him, his breathing quick. "I just need to adjust a bit."

Draco nodded, still concerned that he had hurt Harry, but Harry would have stopped if it hurt too much, right?

It was only two minutes later that Harry slowly started to lift himself up, until only the tip of Draco's cock was in him before sliding down again, moaning whilst he did so.

Draco groaned and his hips started to buck again; he raised his hips when Harry slid down.

"Merlin, Harry, you're so hot," he hissed and clenched and unclenched his fists.

Harry moaned and steadied himself on Draco's chest before lifting himself up again, but this time he slammed down hard, making him yell when Draco hit his spot.

"Please, Harry, release my hands, I want to touch you," Draco whimpered.

Harry shook his head, his black hair stuck to his sweaty forehead. "Nu uh, those handcuffs are not going off till I say so."

"You're such a fucking tease," Draco hissed.

"I don't hear you complaining," Harry smirked before bending down and their mouths met in a sloppy kiss. His entire body was tense and it was getting harder to move up and down. While his tongue sought out Draco's, he grabbed his own stiff cock and started rubbing himself.

Draco watched his lover jerking off with hungry eyes and raised his hips more impatiently, forcing himself to go deeper in Harry's body; even without his hands, he managed to locate Harry's prostate with every thrust and he kept pushing against it, making Harry moan and scream.

Finally, his body couldn't take the double stimulation and Harry threw his head back, his back arching and he came with a loud scream of 'DRACO!'. His come splattered on Draco's stomach and chest.

Watching Harry come and feeling his body clenching around his cock proved to be too much for Draco and he came with a shout too, throwing his head back in the pillows, his whole body arching while he filled Harry's passage with his seed.

Harry dropped down on Draco's chest and fumbled with the handcuffs, managing to open them. Without caring where they landed, he let them drop on the floor. He was too tired to put them away properly.

"That was amazing, Harry," Draco sighed satisfied and brought his stiff arms around Harry's back. His arms tingled when his blood began rushing back through his wrists, but he didn't pay attention to that.

"Hm, you were pretty amazing too," Harry mumbled back, his head pressed against Draco's shoulder.

"Maybe I should get you drunk more often," Draco suggested with a smirk and shifted a bit, not releasing his hold on Harry.

"Shut up," Harry murmured, but smiled. He knew he should get up and clean them, but he was feeling way too tired to even move a muscle and besides he was lying pretty comfortable on Draco. He decided to stay where he was, not minding that Draco was still in him.

They shared one last searing kiss before they fell asleep in each other's arms, not only being connected with their arms, but with certain other body parts too.

* * *

When Harry woke up the following morning at half past eight, he cursed the house elf who had thought it had been a great idea to open the curtains, letting the light in the room and making his headache worse. Now he remembered why he usually didn't drank that much. He hated the headache he got the next morning.

He tried to sit up, but arms around his waist prevented him from doing that and his whole face flushed bright red when he realized that he could still feel Draco in him. Harry groaned and let his head drop back on his place on Draco's chest when the memories of last night flooded in his brain. Not only had he drank too much, he had seduced Draco and had even used those damn handcuffs! Harry could feel his face burning of shame when he remembered the part of the handcuffs. Merlin, what would Draco think of him now?

He tensed when he felt a cool hand stroking his back.

"Do you regret what we did last night?" Draco asked him softly, but Harry could detect a tense undertone in his voice. Draco obviously thought Harry would regret having sex with him.

Harry was reminded to a week ago when Draco had asked him the exact same thing after they had had sex for the first time and he smiled. Did he regret the fact that they had had sex last night? No. Did he regret doing it under the influence of booze? A bit, though he hadn't been that drunk apparently if he still remembered everything. Did he regret using those handcuffs? Hell yes, because Draco would probably tease him about those.

He lifted his head and softly kissed Draco on his mouth, stroking his blond hair out of his face. "No, I don't regret anything. Besides the drinking," he added as an afterthought. "I regret the drinking part."

Draco smirked and kissed his nose. "I don't. It showed me an interesting side of you. Never knew you were kinky enough to use handcuffs. What's next? Spanking? Because I wouldn't have a problem with spanking your naughty arse."

It was practically impossible, but Harry went even redder and he smacked Draco's chest hard in retaliation. "Shut up! I wasn't in my right mind when I used those handcuffs all right?"

Draco chuckled. "Whatever you say, Harry, whatever you say."

Harry huffed, but didn't reply. His breath caught in his throat when his eyes caught sight of the clock; half past eight. He had to be at Andromeda's in little than half an hour. Fuck.

Harry shot up and scrambled out of bed, cursing when the pain in his lower back flared up, courtesy of last night.

Draco grimaced. "Merlin, Harry, don't get up so fast anymore. At least not when I'm stuck in you."

"I'm sorry, Draco, but I'm late. I really need to get ready to take Teddy and see Andromeda. She's going to kill me if I'm late," Harry babbled and searched for his clothes.

He casted a refreshment charm on himself after locating his wand near the wall next to their bed, having no time to waste on a shower.

Draco sat up and watched amused how Harry tried in vain to tame his wild hair.

"There's no use trying to tame that, Potter. Face it, you're going to face my aunt with hair that looks like you've been thoroughly shagged. Oh wait, you were thoroughly shagged," Draco smirked and laughed when Harry tried to hit him with a pillow.

"Shut up, you jerk." Harry scowled, but the corners of his mouth were twitching.

"Do you need a potion?" Draco asked concerned.

"I'll be fine," Harry assured him and bent down to give him a kiss on his mouth.

They both looked up when they heard the knock on the door.

"Dad?" Teddy's voice sounded through the closed door.

"Come in, Teddy."

Teddy opened the door. He was wearing a grey sweater with a black kitten on it and blue jeans. His hair was black with a blue shine through it and his sparkling, brown eyes were looking at his dad curiously.

"Dad, are we going to leave? It's already a quarter to nine," Teddy informed him. He looked at Draco, but quickly averted his eyes when he saw that Draco was half naked.

"I'm almost ready, Teddy. I just have to grab my jacket and then we can go," Harry muttered and grabbed his brown jacket.

"I'll see you two later, okay," Draco smiled warmly and shared another kiss with Harry.

Teddy waved at him before turning around to walk downstairs.

When they reached the hallway, Daphne stood there waiting for them with Scorpius next to her.

"He wanted to say goodbye before you left," Daphne explained to Harry.

"I'll see you later, Scorpius," Harry smiled and bent down to hug the boy.

"Bye bye, daddy," Scorpius chirped and hugged him back.

To their surprise, Scorpius hugged Teddy too and for a moment the older boy tensed before returning the hug.

"And, was my gift useful to you last night?" Daphne murmured to Harry, watching the two boys say goodbye.

Harry went red again and he spluttered. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he huffed.

Daphne snorted and crossed her arms. "I'm not stupid, you know. You practically scream 'I've been fucked and it was amazing'."

"God, you Slytherins are so fucking annoying," Harry mumbled and glared at her. He grabbed Teddy's hand. "Come on, Teddy, let's go."

"Bye, Potter. Have a nice day," Daphne smiled sweetly and waved them out. "Oh, and don't forget to ask for an extra cushion when you're going to sit down," she added, laughing.

Harry froze when he heard that and counted to ten to avoid hexing the ex Slytherin. He knew he had had a valid reason to hate Slytherins.

"Dad, why do you need an extra cushion when you're going to sit down?" Teddy asked suddenly, peering at him with curious, brown eyes. "Did you fall on your bum last night?"

Daphne was so lucky she would be gone in a day and that she was Scorpius' mother, otherwise he would have hexed her so badly.

"Something like that, yes, Teddy," Harry smiled strained, wondering if maybe he would get away with hexing the woman. It would only be fair right?


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Suspense, drama, slightly bad chapter in my opinion - I have no clue as to how to portray the situation at the end of the story, so I used what I saw on television and read in books and such
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 27**

Andromeda opened the door with a smile. "Harry, Teddy, it's so good to see you again!" She hugged them both before ushering them in her house.

Harry hung his jacket and Teddy's coat in the closet and perked up when the smell of coffee and pancakes reached his nose.

"Breakfast?" he asked grinning.

Andromeda nodded. "I thought you would like having breakfast here, because I'm sure you haven't eaten yet." She gave him a pointed look.

Harry flushed and scratched the back of his head. "I may have slept in a bit," he admitted sheepishly.

The older woman shook her head amused, the silver strands in her hair gleaming in the light of the fire in the fireplace.

"Is there chocolate too, grandmother?" Teddy asked grinning.

She ruffled his hair. "Of course there's chocolate too," she chuckled.

Teddy hugged her quickly and almost bounced his way to the small kitchen where the pancakes were waiting to be eaten.

"Are you all right, dear?" Andromeda asked concerned and studied Harry's face.

"Of course I'm okay," Harry assured her. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you quit your job, got together with my dearest sister's son and I'm sure you're itching to capture that murderer," she clarified, keeping her voice down as to not alert Teddy.

Harry sighed and rubbed his neck. "I'm already studying for my next job, Draco is amazing once you get to know him – annoying, but amazing – and Snape is helping me with trying to make an antidote to help the victims. I'm fine, Andromeda, really."

She touched his cheek and shook her head. "Just try to stay out of trouble. My daughter would make your life miserable if something happened to you and made you leave my grandson," she smiled weakly.

Harry laughed. "I'm sure Tonks wouldn't be the only one to make my life miserable if I did something stupid," he replied, thinking about his parents, Sirius and Remus.

Their conversation broke up when Teddy shouted from the kitchen, "Come on, grandmother, dad! The pancakes are getting cold."

Andromeda seemed to freeze. Harry, who had already taken a step to the kitchen, turned back around to face her.

"We're there in a minute, sweetie!" Harry yelled back. He bit his lip and stretched out his arm to touch Andromeda's. To his relief, she didn't pull away. "Andromeda?" he said hesitantly.

"How long has he been calling you dad?" she asked, whispering.

He sighed; he should have known it would bother her. She hadn't liked it when Teddy had called him dad when he was a toddler, but he had hoped she would have gotten over it by now.

"It's just … He wanted to call me dad, because Scorpius calls me daddy," Harry explained embarrassed. "Teddy knows I'm not his real father, but I'm the only father figure he has. I didn't think it would hurt if he calls me dad. It makes him happy, so why take that away from him?"

At first Andromeda didn't say anything; she just stared at him, before glancing to the kitchen where her grandson was eating.

She sighed. "Well, who am I to take his happiness away? I just don't want him to forget his real parents." She fiddled with her sleeves.

"He won't. I've given him a photo album of his parents and he loves to look at them, asking me to tell him stories about them," Harry smiled and then remembered he had a Pensive he still had to watch. He vowed he would watch those memories soon; he was curious as to what kind of memories Snape had given him.

"That's good then," Andromeda smiled relieved. Then she clapped her hands. "Well, it's time for breakfast."

"Still trying to fatten me up?" Harry laughed when he saw the amount of pancakes and chocolate waiting on the table.

"You're still so thin, so yes, I'm trying to fatten you up a bit more. Wish you would work with me on that part," Andromeda laughed and swatted his arm.

"What can I say? I'm stubborn," Harry chuckled and sat down on the chair, only to hiss and jump again before muttering a cushion charm on the charm. Gingerly he sat down again and breathed out relieved when the pain in his back didn't flare up again.

He looked up and reddened when he saw the suspicious look on Andromeda's face.

"Harry, is something the matter?" she asked and raised an eyebrow.

Teddy replied in Harry's place. "He fell on his bum last night, so it probably hurts to sit down."

Andromeda blinked and probably came to some conclusion, because she cleared her throat and said, "I see; well, do you need a pain relief potion, dear?"

Harry shook his head, not knowing if he should laugh at her flushed face or be more embarrassed that she had probably figured out what had happened exactly to him last night. "No, thanks, I'm fine."

"Well, if you're fine, then let's eat. I still have some presents that needs to be opened." She winked at the two she considered her grandsons.

Teddy beamed and started eating excitedly. Harry joined him a minute later, still cursing himself for getting drunk last night. He was never getting drunk again.

* * *

Daphne looked up with a smirk on her face when Draco entered the dining room. Her son was currently upstairs, taking a bath.

"Did you have fun last night, Draco?" she asked sweetly and hid her grin behind her cup of tea.

Draco narrowed his eyes and sat down across from her. "You're so goddamn perverted, Daphne. Handcuffs? Really? What's next? A vibrator?"

Daphne's eyes sparkled and she bent forwards a bit. "Do you think Potter would be interested in that?"

A croissant was thrown at her in response and she laughed.

"Don't you even dare, Daphne." Draco scowled.

"Ah, please, Draco. You can't say you didn't enjoy my little gift to Potter," she smirked.

"I'm just surprised Harry kept them instead of destroying them at sight," Draco muttered and reached for the coffee. "He seemed pretty embarrassed about them when he woke up this morning."

"Potter wouldn't destroy a present. That wouldn't be polite and Gryffindors are always polite," she chuckled.

Draco just shook his head, finding it too early to argue. He was still trying to get awake properly. A good cup of coffee should do the trick.

He had just taking a sip when a house elf appeared next to him.

"Master Draco, a witch is at the door. She say she want to see Harry Potter," the house elf squeaked, wringing his hands nervously, not wanting to feel the wrath of his master.

Draco frowned. "Has she said who she is?"

"She say she is Ginny Weasley, Master," the house elf replied.

Grey eyes darkened at that name and he stood up. How dare she come to his house? Wasn't it enough that she had to have those ridiculous meetings with his lover?

Daphne stood up too, feeling curious as to why Ginny Weasley would appear at the manor. She vaguely remembered that she and Potter had been an item five years ago, but they had broken up, though the papers hadn't been able to discover the true reason. The official reason was that they had outgrown each other, but everyone knew that was the standard response.

"Why would Weasley wait here for Potter? I thought they had broken up?" Daphne asked, following Draco outside to the hallway.

"They had, but that stupid tramp decided that she needed another chance and has been in contact with Harry for a few weeks now. And of course, Harry thinks she's only in it for friendship," Draco snorted and withdrew his wand.

He yanked the door open and glared at the red haired woman standing on his porch.

"What do you want, Weasley?" he asked coldly and remained standing in the middle of the doorway, preventing her from trying to enter.

Ginny glared at him. She was wearing a short skirt now that barely reached the middle of her thighs with a black, fitting jacket. "I want to see Harry and see if he wanted to spend some time with me again."

"He's not here," Draco informed her curtly.

"Oh, has he already left you?" Ginny sneered.

"No, he's at the store, buying more lube, because we ran out of that. Whipped cream just doesn't really do the trick if you know what I mean," Draco smirked. There was no way in hell he would let her know where Harry was. He didn't doubt she knew where his aunt lived and he didn't want to give her a chance to be alone with his lover again.

Ginny narrowed her eyes and balled her fists. "As if Harry would ever fuck with you," she snapped.

"Trust me, Weasley, your precious Potter is fucking with Draco. I should know. They kept me up last night. Potter's a real screamer," Daphne smirked and appeared next to Draco.

"Ha! See, you're lying! Harry isn't a screamer!" Ginny retorted triumphantly.

"The fact that he didn't scream with you is perfectly understandable, Weasley," Draco replied drily. "Now I would show you the evidence, but I'm not exactly a fan of voyeurs. If you don't disappear this instant, I'm going to curse you so badly, even the best Healer won't be able to cure you," he warned her.

She stuck her chin forwards. "I dare you to curse me. I wonder how long it would take for the Aurors to arrest you if you tried that," she sneered.

Draco smiled darkly and pointed his wand at her face. "Believe me when I say they won't be able to trace it back to me. The Malfoy name is still more powerful than yours, Weasley and I wonder how long it will take to completely discredit your family in public. I suspect that the press would have a field day if they discovered the real reason why Harry broke up with you and I wonder how you will explain that to your parents. Go home, Weasley."

Her whole face had gone red, clashing with her fire red hair. "This is not over, Malfoy," she hissed, but she spun around and stalked away, Apparating immediately when she passed the wards. She would have to form a new plan to get Harry. Maybe it was time that she took it to a whole new level.

Draco sighed and closed the door.

"Do you think she will keep away?" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Probably not, but I don't have to see her face again for at least a couple of weeks," Draco smirked. "After that I'll figure something out."

"You're not going to tell Potter that she came here, are you?" Daphne smiled.

"Who are you talking about? I don't remember anyone coming here. Sometimes my memory gets shifty," Draco replied nonchalantly.

Daphne laughed.

"Mummy, do you want to see my pictures of daddy and papa?" Scorpius' high voice sounded on the stairs.

Daphne clapped her hands and smiled. "Of course I want to see them. Let me take a look at them, my little artist."

Scorpius smiled brightly and then proceeded for more than an hour to show his mother all the pictures he made of his new family. Draco was amazed at the sheer quantity of the pictures – and at the art work itself. It seemed like his son was really an artist in the making.

* * *

After getting multiple hugs and making a promise to visit her more often, Harry and Teddy made their way back home. Because the Apparation point was about a mile from Andromeda's home, Harry and Teddy had to walk for a bit.

Teddy had gripped Harry's hand tightly and was walking next to him, keeping his new book about werewolves tightly against his chest. His grandmother had told him it was time that he learned more about his father and had given him that book; she had chosen one that was reliable and not filled with prejudices and lies – reliable books about werewolves were pretty hard to find as it turned out.

"I had fun today with grandmother," Teddy smiled happily.

Harry chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that."

Teddy loved these moments where it was only him and his dad. Sure he had come to accept Draco and even to an extent Scorpius, but it was still hard to share his dad with others. Still, he managed, because he saw how happy his dad was now that he had Draco. He had to admit Draco was better than Ginny had ever been.

"All right, sweetie, hold on tight, I'm going to Apparate," Harry smiled and hugged Teddy tightly to his chest.

Teddy squeezed his eyes shut; he never really liked Apparating. It made him dizzy.

They hurried their way up the path, breathing out in relief when they entered the warm hallway of the manor. A house elf appeared to take over their coats and while Harry made his way to the living room, assuming Draco, Scorpius and Daphne would be there, Teddy walked upstairs to put away his book.

Harry raised an eyebrow when he entered the room and saw Draco standing near the fire with a scowl on his face, reading a letter.

"What's up with him?" Harry asked curiously.

Daphne looked up from her magazine. "He got a letter from one of his business associates. I don't know what they want."

"Daddy!" Scorpius squealed and ran to Harry, stretching out his arms.

Harry chuckled and brought Scorpius up on his hip, giving him a kiss on his forehead. "Hey, there, little guy, did you miss me?"

Scorpius nodded enthusiastically and hugged Harry tightly around the neck. "I missed you a lot, daddy! I showed mummy my pictures of you and papa," he told him proudly.

"Did you now?" Harry smiled and carried the little, blond boy over to the couch. He sat down on it, but Scorpius wouldn't let go of him and he resigned himself to his new position, placing Scorpius on his lap.

"Mummy says I'm really good at drawing," Scorpius smiled excitedly.

"I know, you're really good," Harry praised him.

Scorpius preened at hearing that compliment coming from his daddy. He looked around when he didn't notice his big brother. "Where is Teddy?" he asked curiously.

"He's putting away a book. He'll be here soon," Harry replied and indeed, half a minute later, Teddy appeared in the room, walking over to the couch and settling himself down next to Harry.

Scorpius gave him an enthusiastic hug; Teddy tensed up again, but hugged back. "I missed you, Teddy," he chirped.

"What did you do today?" Teddy asked, not being able to bring himself to say the same thing. He hadn't missed that clinging brat that much.

Immediately Scorpius started informing his brother about what he did that day, barely stopping to take a breath.

"Bleeding idiots," Draco muttered and crumpled the letter.

Harry turned to face him. "What's the matter, Draco?"

Draco sighed and came over and bent down to give Harry a soft kiss. "Welcome back," he murmured.

"Hm. What's in the letter?" Harry asked and his hand came up automatically to intertwine his fingers with Draco's.

Absently Draco rubbed the palm of Harry's hand with his thumb. "One of my associates in Wales has a problem and he needs to see me immediately to find a solution." He sighed and rubbed his face. Peter Heningway, his associate, was a lawyer, but he was having trouble with one of his clients who was incidentally also one of the Malfoy clients.

"When are you leaving to meet that associate of yours?" Harry frowned.

"It's frustrating, but I have to see him tomorrow. I don't know when I'm able to return, but with a bit of luck I'm home by ten p.m.," Draco replied, kissing Harry's hand. "Sorry, Daphne, but I won't be able to see you again after tomorrow morning."

Daphne waved her hand. "Don't be stupid; I don't mind. You didn't know that associate would have trouble. Besides we'll see each other again soon. Hey, Potter, what do you think of you, I and the boys going shopping tomorrow?" she suggested smiling.

"Are you planning something suspicious?" Harry asked seriously.

Daphne laughed. "No, I just want to go shopping and it's always more fun when there's someone else with me," she replied and winked.

"Fine with me, though I'm not that into shopping," Harry warned her.

"I would be concerned if you were, Potter," Daphne smirked.

Scorpius clapped his hands and bounced on Harry's lap. "Can we go to the candy store too?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes, we can go, but you're not getting too much candy, Scorpius," Daphne warned her son.

Scorpius pouted, but was still smiling. Besides, he knew he would get his way with the amount of candy. His mummy had never been able to say no to him when he pouted.

* * *

The following day, Harry was woken up briefly by Draco to kiss him goodbye.

"I'll see you tonight, Harry," Draco whispered and gave him another kiss on his lips.

"Hm, I'll miss you," Harry muttered sleepily; he hadn't even opened his eyes.

Draco smiled tenderly and caressed his black hair. "I'll miss you too." After one last kiss, he made his way downstairs, stopping briefly in his study room to grab his suite case. Hopefully the problem would be fixed without too many problems and he would be able to get home soon.

* * *

Five hours later and Harry was asking himself how in the world he could have been so stupid as to say yes to Daphne's request for shopping. That woman wasn't human; not once had she stopped to rest. They had already visited the book store and many clothing stores and were now making their way to the candy store.

Teddy was walking at his right side, holding him by his hand and Scorpius was skipping on his other hand, while he hold his mother's hand too.

"After the candy store, can we finally get something to eat? I'm starving and my feet are getting tired," Harry groaned.

Daphne huffed. "Really, you have no condition, Potter. It's just shopping; you're not doing a marathon."

"I disagree with that," Harry muttered darkly, wondering why women were so obsessed with visiting numerous shops, but only buying a bit in one shop.

Daphne opened her mouth to argue, but she never got the chance to reply. A huge explosion demolished the house a few feet away from them and she and Harry quickly turned the boys around pressing them against the wall to protect them from the flying obstacles.

Everywhere people were screaming and running in panic, while smoke was beginning to fill the area. The building next to the demolished one had caught on fire too and the fire was quickly spreading to other buildings.

"Daphne, we need to get out of here!" Harry yelled and covered his mouth with his scarf.

Daphne nodded, wide –eyed and after making sure both boys were covering their noses and mouths too, they started to worm through the mass of people, looking for an Apparation point. Daphne had settled Scorpius on her hip and was trying to soothe him. He had buried his face in her neck and was crying from shock, not understanding what was happening around them now.

Teddy had grabbed Harry's hand and was pulling him along.

They had just made it to a quieter area, when suddenly Harry's hand was ripped away from Teddy's.

Quickly Teddy turned around, only to see his dad getting hit by a spell.

"DAD!" he screamed terrified, but before he could take a step to grab his dad, someone hidden in a cloak grabbed his dad from behind and Apparated away.

A quiet 'thick' was heard when Harry's wand fell on the ground and rolled to Teddy.

"DAD!" he screamed again and wanted to run to the alley where his dad had disappeared, but was grabbed by his arm and pulled to a warm chest.

"No, let me go! My dad is gone! I need to find him!" he screamed and struggled.

"Teddy, no! Listen to me! You need to calm down! We're going to look for your dad, but I don't want you to disappear too. Your dad doesn't want you to get hurt," Daphne said hurriedly, while frantically searching the area.

What had just happened? Had Potter been kidnapped? By who?

"Where is daddy?" Scorpius cried, his tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Ssh, Scorpius, sweetie, I need you to calm down, okay? I'm going to look for daddy," she murmured to him and looked down to the other distraught child clinging to her stomach. "All right, Teddy, can you pick up your dad's wand? We don't want to lose that."

Teddy nodded and in a daze bent down to grab his dad's wand. He almost choked with the force of his sobs. Where was his dad? What would that person do to him? Would that person … kill his dad?

At that thought a sob forced his way through his throat and he hid his face in Daphne's stomach, his hands gripping her long coat tightly.

A warm arm was placed around his shoulder and he was guided slowly forwards.

Daphne took a deep breath, knowing panicking wouldn't help her now and looked through the whole alley. No sign of either Potter or that person who took him. That son of a bitch had probably stunned Potter before he could do anything.

Daphne's breath escaped in a hiss and she fell down against the wall, Scorpius and Teddy clinging to her and crying their hearts out, panicking for their dad. She couldn't believe it. Potter was gone. He was kidnapped.

Something told her that the explosion had just been a diversion; it was too coincidentally that Potter just happened to be kidnapped on the exact same moment that the explosion happened. They had walked into a trap.

Potter was gone and there was not one single clue as to where the person had taken him.

Her mind stopped working. How would Draco react to this?


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: mostly angst and most likely an OOC Draco
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 28**

Daphne stared dazed at nothing in particular. Everyone around her was still panicking about the explosion; most of them were trying to put out the fire.

She knew she should Apparate to the Ministry and search for some Aurors to warn them about the kidnapping of Potter, but somehow her legs felt like jelly and she couldn't get up.

Potter was gone. Fuck, how could she explain this to Draco?

She was startled when she felt something hot and wet hit her hand and she realized she had started crying.

"I'm sorry, sweeties, but I can't find daddy," she whispered and closed her eyes in pain when the sobs got even louder. She hugged the boys tightly to her and swore that she would find Potter. She deemed Potter as her friend now and nobody got away with hurting her friends.

A fire started to burn in her eyes. The asshole could better hope he gave Potter back soon before she found him – otherwise the Aurors wouldn't even find someone to blame.

Still her mind was reeling in shock; she still couldn't believe that Potter was gone. She closed her eyes when she thought of Draco. He was now in Wales, in the belief that she and Potter were having a nice day out with shopping. How would he react when he heard that Potter was kidnapped?

She shivered when she imaged the rage Draco would be in when he heard the news. Voldemort would seem like a cuddly bunny in comparison with an enraged Draco. There was a reason why nobody but fools dared to cross a Malfoy.

First things first. She had to get the boys back to the manor in case the kidnapper decided to return and needed to warn the Aurors.

She softly shook the boys and waited until they looked at her with teary eyes.

"Sweeties, I'm going to bring you back to the manor and then I have to contact the Aurors so that they can look for your daddy, okay?" Daphne explained softly and stroked the tear tracks away on both their faces.

"Is daddy coming back?" Scorpius asked, hiccupping.

She took a deep breath. "I swear to you that I'll do everything to bring your daddy back."

Scorpius nodded, but Teddy just gazed at her. She was worried that he had gone into shock; she had no idea what to do then.

Carefully she placed them on their feet and stood up. Putting Scorpius on her hip, she hugged Teddy to her stomach and closed her eyes, concentrating on her destination.

A few seconds later, the little group arrived at the gates of Malfoy manor. She quickly hurried to the manor, but made sure that Teddy was able to still follow her without tripping.

As soon as she was inside, she walked to the living room. "All right, sweeties, sit down here. I got to make a call, okay?" she said agitated.

Scorpius nodded and curled up in a ball on the couch, still sniffling. Teddy just sat there rigidly, staring at nothing in particular. His eyes were still vacant.

"Pinksky!" she called out and a house elf appeared immediately. The elf bowed.

"What cans I do for you, Mistress Daphne?" Pinksky squeaked.

"I want you to watch Scorpius and Teddy for me while I make a call. Make sure they are comfortable," she snapped and didn't wait for the affirmative nod before making her way to Draco's study.

Hastily she dropped her coat on the desk, before grabbing the Floo powder. She had just thrown the powder in the fire and wanted to step in and go to the Ministry, before realizing that she couldn't leave the boys alone without any protection aside from the house elves. She also didn't want to take them to the Ministry. _Fuck, what could she do now?_

"Ah." Her eyes widened when she thought of her former professor. Of course; why hadn't she thought of that earlier? She only hoped he would have the time to keep an eye on the boys. She bent down, sitting on her knees on the hard wooden floor, took a deep breath, stuck her head in the green fire and called out, "Snape's manor!"

Three seconds later, she had a view of a desk and a few bookcases.

"Professor Snape?" she called out uncertainly.

One minute later, footsteps walked into the room and her former Head of the House bent down on his knees, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Miss Zabini, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he drawled, but frowned when he noticed her red rimmed eyes.

"Sir, I know you're busy, but I really need your help. Could you please come to the manor and watch Teddy and Scorpius for me? I have to go to the Ministry and warn the Aurors," she said hastily.

"Calm down; why do you need to warn the Aurors?"

"Someone kidnapped Potter when we were in Diagon Alley." She bit on her lip. "I tried searching for him, but whoever took him, removed all evidence. I couldn't even find a trace of magic!"

For the first time since she had known him, Daphne saw Snape's black eyes widening and his mouth dropped open. However he got his bearings back after two seconds and he stood up. "I'm coming through, Miss Zabini," he warned her and she hastily ducked out of the fire.

She stood up and was joined by Snape who looked distracted.

"Could you see the kidnapper?" he asked, his whole body tense.

She shook her head. "No, I hadn't even noticed it until Teddy started screaming." She looked down ashamed. If she only had paid more attention to Potter or if she had let him lead, he may still be here.

"Where is Draco?" Snape asked and made his way out of the room.

"He's in Wales now, helping an associate with a problem," she replied.

"How very convenient," Snape muttered. "Where are the boys?"

"They are waiting in the living room." Daphne looked back at the fireplace. "Sir, is it okay with you if I go now to the Ministry?"

"You should have left already," Snape growled.

Her face flushed and she hurried to the fireplace, immediately throwing in another dash of Floo Powder and with a shout of 'Ministry' she was gone in a green flash.

* * *

Severus shook his head and made his way downstairs. How could it have been possible to kidnap Potter in daylight? And how had that person known where he would be? Had he been following Potter without anyone of them knowing it? It seemed so.

He clenched his jaw and marched into the living room. How on earth would he explain to Draco that Potter was kidnapped?

He spotted the boys sitting on the couch. A house elf had put a blanket around them and two cups of hot chocolate were standing on the table, untouched.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. How should he comfort them?

"Uncle Sev?" Scorpius' weak voice brought him back from his musings and he looked at the little boy.

"Scorpius," he murmured and sat down between Scorpius and Teddy. Scorpius immediately leaned into his side, burying his face in his side.

He put his arm around the small shoulders that were moving with his silent sobs.

"Will daddy come back?" Scorpius hiccupped, his voice muffled.

Severus took a deep breath. The right thing to do would be to assure Scorpius that Potter would indeed come back. But it went against his belief in telling the truth. At this moment he didn't know whether Potter would be returned or whether the kidnapper decided to kill him. Maybe if Potter had his wand, then … A glance at the table and he stilled in horror when he noticed Potter's wand lying on the table, taunting them.

Potter didn't have his wand; he was as vulnerable as a Muggle.

"Uncle Sev?" Scorpius repeated in a small voice.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Scorpius," Severus murmured. "I don't know whether daddy will come back."

"No, no, no, he has to come back. Daddy will be back, he won't leave us," Scorpius sobbed.

Severus did his best to comfort the boy, but at this point he couldn't do more than hug him. He turned his attention to Teddy who was sitting quietly besides him.

It unnerved him when he saw the glazed over eyes, staring at nothing in particular.

"Teddy," he muttered.

No response.

"Teddy," he repeated louder.

Finally the boy stirred. "I'm going upstairs," Teddy said quietly and stood up.

"Teddy, I want you to stay here," Severus said sternly. He didn't like the quietness of the child. If Potter's disappearance hurt Scorpius this much, it would have to be ten times worse for Teddy who had grown up with Potter and regarded him as a father figure.

Teddy shook his head and made his way to the door. "I'm going upstairs," he repeated monotonously and slipped outside.

Severus cursed softly.

_You better make sure you come back alive, Potter,_ he thought darkly. _Otherwise I'm going to wherever you are and I'm going to drag your sorry arse back._

* * *

Daphne came back three hours later, completely exhausted.

"What did they say?" Severus asked softly. From his breathing pattern, he had noticed that Scorpius had fallen asleep. He figured that the boy could need some rest.

Daphne slumped into an arm chair with a sigh. "I finally got a hold on them after half an hour searching. After that I had to spend an hour recounting everything that aspired before they finally believed me. Apparently because I'm a former Slytherin I could be a suspect," she sneered. "Bloody fucking Aurors. Why would I tell them about Potter if I was the one who kidnapped him?" She huffed.

Severus didn't say anything.

"Anyway," she continued." I finally convinced them and they started searching for him."

She let her head fall back on the back rest. "I honestly don't know what is going to happen now. If Potter doesn't come back …" she trailed off.

"All we can do now is hoping that Potter's stupid luck still works," Severus snapped.

Daphne frowned. "Where is Teddy?"

"He went upstairs," Severus answered.

"I'm going to check on him, see how he's doing," she muttered and walked out of the room.

Slowly she made her way upstairs. She opened the door to Teddy's room and her heart stopped when Teddy was nowhere to be found in the room. Merlin no; had he gone outside, searching for his dad?

She grabbed her wand, laid it on the palm of her hand and whispered, "Point me to Teddy Lupin."

Her wand started spinning, but it almost stopped immediately and pointed to another room a bit further in the hallway. Slowly she walked to it and pushed the door open. Her heart clenched at the sight that met her.

Teddy was curled up on the bed, in a foetus position, clenching a pillow to his chest. He was staring at the wall, tears streaming down his cheeks, his small body trembling with his heavy sobs.

Hesitatingly she walked over to the bed and slowly sat down on it.

"Teddy?" she murmured and put her hand on his back.

"I want my dad back," Teddy whispered brokenly.

"I know, sweetie, I know," she muttered and pulled him in her arms.

For a moment he struggled against her hold, but when he realized she wouldn't let him go, he slumped against her, burying his face against her shoulder.

They stayed like that for hours; Teddy had fallen asleep against her; his warm puffs of breath were tickling her neck.

Daphne knew they would need to eat something, but she wasn't hungry and she doubted the boys were hungry.

It was a quarter after eight when the sound she dreaded the most was heard. The sound of Flooing.

Draco was home.

* * *

Draco grumbled when he stepped out of the fireplace. It had started storming in the afternoon and he hadn't fancied Apparating in that vicious storm. He removed the dust and grime of his suit and placed his suit case down on his desk.

He wanted nothing more than to find Harry and snog the living daylights out of him. He wondered how long it would take to convince the boys to go to sleep early.

He made his way downstairs, to the living room because he saw light dancing there through the crack of the door.

He pushed the door open and was surprised to see his son sleeping against … Severus.

"Severus, what are you doing here? The boys didn't have any lessons today, did they?" Draco asked confused. "And where is Harry?" he added after looking around. Usually Harry would be with one of the boys.

He frowned when he noticed Severus tensing.

"Draco, I think you need to sit down," Severus told him.

"Why would I need to sit down? I just want to know what you're doing here and where Harry is." He scowled.

"Draco, sit down now!" Severus snapped.

Draco looked at him shocked and immediately sat down. Severus never lost his temper with him unless it was about something serious. A cold feeling started to creep up in his feeling. "Severus, where is Harry?" he asked again.

"I think it's best if Miss Zabini informs you about that," Severus muttered.

As if that was the sign, Daphne appeared in the doorway, looking pale and exhausted.

"Daphne? What's wrong? Where is Harry?" Draco repeated his question to her, now slightly starting to panic. Something wasn't right here.

Daphne sighed and looked at Severus. "Sir, I think it's best if you put Scorpius in his bed. I already brought Teddy to his room."

Severus nodded and carefully picked up Scorpius. Scorpius fussed for a moment before lying still in his arms.

After one last look at Draco – _was that pity?_ – he disappeared in the hallway, closing the door behind him.

"Daphne what the hell is going on here?" Draco said, his voice shaking.

She gulped and took a deep breath. "The boys, Potter and I went shopping in Diagon Alley," she started.

"I know that," Draco said impatiently.

She threw him a stern look. "A couple of hours later, when we were walking to the candy store, a building exploded."

Draco felt a shock going through him. "Are the boys all right? What about Harry?" he asked quickly.

She continued without answering his questions. "Potter and I shielded the boys so that nobody got hurt."

Draco breathed out in relief, but frowned. If everyone was okay, then where the hell was Harry?

"Potter and I decided to go back to Apparate, because the fire was spreading. When we were walking past an alley, I suddenly heard Teddy screaming." Her breath hitched and she looked at the floor. "When I turned around, someone had – had grabbed Potter and – and Apparated with him."

Draco sat still, not moving one muscle. His mind didn't comprehend what Daphne was telling him. No, it wasn't true; Harry wasn't kidnapped. This was just a horrible joke; any second now Harry would come through that door and laugh at him, before teasing him. Any second now he would appear. He had to.

"I'm so sorry, Draco," Daphne whispered and she stared at him with tear-filled eyes. "I went after them, but – but I couldn't find them. I – I went to the Aurors. They are searching for him now. I'm so, so sorry."

Draco brought his hands to his face and screamed. He screamed until his throat felt raw and even then he kept screaming. He only stopped when he felt faint. He welcomed the dark and let himself fall in it.

His Harry was gone. And he hadn't been there to save him.

* * *

Many miles away, Harry woke up groaning. He winced when pain shot through his whole body. He struggled and discovered his hands were tied behind his back with his legs bound together. Something was stuffed in his mouth, almost gagging him, bringing tears to his eyes. At first he thought it was dark wherever he was, but then he realized that someone had blindfolded him.

Fuck. This was not good. Where the hell was he? More importantly who took him? Had he hurt the boys and Daphne?

Fury coursed through his veins, made his whole body tremble with it. If that son of a bitch had dared to hurt his sons or Daphne, he would kill him, consequences be damned.

He stiffened when he heard a door open and someone walked in. The footsteps echoed against the walls.

Whoever it was stopped a few feet away from him.

A dark chuckle rose up.

"You should look at you now. The famous Harry Potter, bound and completely helpless," the man, Harry realized it was a man from his deep voice, sneered.

Harry glared, but knew it didn't have much effect with him blindfolded. He tried to recognize the voice. Was it someone he knew? Was it someone randomly or was he … Harry tensed at the thought that came to his mind. Was that the murderer? Would he be poisoned as well now?

"You know, I never thought it would be that easy to capture you. Guess even you are helpless without your wand," the man chuckled and Harry reared back as much as he could when he felt a hand touching his cheek. He growled through the gag.

"Tsk, manners, Potter." The man patted his cheek harshly.

"Now, let me put your mind at rest; I'm not going to kill you – yet. My plan would be useless after all if I killed you now. All my work would be thrown away and we can't have that now, can we?" the man said in a bright voice. "Allow me to examine you for a moment."

Harry felt a shock going through his body, starting from his stomach, then spreading out to his chest and limbs. What was that man doing?

"Hm." The man sounded disappointed. "That's a shame. I would have thought you had taken my advice and had started a family. That's after all what you want, isn't it, Potter?"

Harry froze. _Starting a family._ That were the exact same words that had been in the letter he had received a few months ago. He was sure about it now; in front of him was the murderer he had been looking for.

"Well, that can be helped. Guess you're going to stay a little while longer with me, Potter," the man sighed.

He heard the man walking away before abruptly stopping.

Harry strained his ears; a faint sound of rustling told him that the man was searching something in what he assumed was a bag.

Suddenly the man stood just an inch away from him and Harry tried to scramble back on the floor he was lying on.

"For fuck's sake, Potter, stay still!" the man snapped and roughly grabbed his arm.

Harry bit on the gag when he felt a needle stabbing through his skin, finding a vein. Something cold entered his veins before the needle was pulled away.

"Well damn, guess I forgot the sedative. Oh well, you'll live through it. See you in a few days, Potter," the man chuckled and the door closed.

What had that bastard injected in him? Was it poison?

Suddenly his whole body started burning. He screamed through the cloth when the burning reached his stomach. His intestines were pulled and pushed together and the pain was excruciating. Was he going to die now?

He threw his head back and a blood curling scream forced his way out of throat when the burning intensified. It felt as if someone was ripping his intestines out of his body.

His mind only could take one more flash of burning, cutting pain before he blacked out, slumping on the floor, his body shocking and trembling.

* * *

A sinister smile appeared on the man's face who was looking through the small window.

"I'll get my revenge, Potter," he murmured, his eyes glinting madly. "I'll destroy your precious family like you destroyed mine."

He turned around and left the room. He would come back in two days. Best to wait until the potion had settled.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: drama, angst and my apologies if I didn't portray the children's reaction to the kidnapping well. Again, I don't have any idea how children react towards such a situation, so I tried my best
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 29**

Draco groaned when he felt something wet touching his forehead and cheeks. _What had happened?_

He heard hushed voices and concentrated on them.

"I never thought his reaction would be this severe." That was Daphne, sounding shocked.

"Potter is his lover, what did you expect? That he would be calm when he heard the news?" That was Severus sounding annoyed.

An alarm bell was going off in his head. There was something wrong; very, very wrong. Something that had to do with Harry.

He pained his brain and slowly everything came back. The meeting with his associate; the storm; Daphne telling him Harry was kidnapped …

Harry was kidnapped!

His eyes flew open and he shot up on the couch, looking around wildly. His eyes caught sight of the grandfather clock standing in the left corner.

It showed a quarter to eleven. He had been unconscious for two hours. _Fuck_. He had to find Harry. He wasn't about to lose him now that he finally had gotten him. He would rip the asshole apart that had dared to steal Harry.

He swung his long legs off the couch and stood up, grabbing his wand and ignoring the shocked gasp of Daphne. "Draco!"

He reached out for the door handle, but a click told him that the door was magically locked. His fury went up a notch.

He whirled around and saw that Severus had been the one to lock the door. Severus calmly put his wand away.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Draco hissed, his grey eyes trying to glare through his godfather.

"Keeping you from making a mistake." Severus narrowed his eyes. "What were you planning?"

"I'm going to search for Harry and kill the son of a bitch that took him," Draco growled; the hand on his wand clenched tighter.

"And how are you going to do that? You have no clue as to who did it or where Potter could be," Severus retorted impatiently.

"I don't care. I will find him." Draco glared and pulled at the door handle. "And when I find him, that fucker will wish he was never born."

"What about Scorpius and Teddy?"

Draco stiffened.

Daphne stood near the fireplace, watching nervously between the two men.

"What about them?"

"If you go now, they will think you disappeared too. They need you to be there for them," Severus explained softly. "I understand your urge to search for Potter, but it would be futile. You would do more by staying with the boys than go on a wild search with no clue to follow."

Draco took a shaky breath. "I just don't want to lose him," he whispered.

"Draco, Potter is the most stubborn man I have ever met and I knew his father. He won't give up easily," Severus replied gently.

"You're sure about that?" Draco asked in a small voice.

"I'm sure," Severus soothed.

Draco's shoulders sagged. "Fine, I won't go searching. But if they find that son of a bitch, I'll get my hands on him first," he said darkly and left the room, going upstairs.

"Are you sure Potter will be back, sir?" Daphne asked softly.

Severus stared out of the window. "I'm sure about his stubbornness. The rest is up to him," he replied. "You can go home, Miss Zabini. There is nothing more you can do now."

Daphne shook her head. "No, I think it's best if I stay here."

"Suit yourself," Severus sighed.

* * *

Draco sighed and opened the door to Scorpius' room. His heart clenched when he saw the tear tracks on Scorpius' face; he was curled up tightly in bed, hugging his favourite doll to his chest.

Silently, Draco walked over to the bed and tucked his son under the blankets, caressing the soft, blond hair and kissed his forehead.

Scorpius fussed a bit, but didn't wake up.

He decided to check on Teddy too before going to his bedroom. He wouldn't sleep in the bedroom he shared with Harry; that would only remind him of his lonely state.

Teddy had curled up in bed, completely hidden underneath his blankets. Draco could only see a small lump. He sighed again and closed the door.

On his way to his bedroom, all kinds of scenarios flashed through his mind.

If he had decided to wait with his visit to Wales and had stayed home, Harry wouldn't have gone shopping and wouldn't have gotten kidnapped.

If Draco had gone shopping too, maybe he could have prevented the kidnapping from happening.

If he had taken Harry with him on his trip, the kidnapper wouldn't have had a chance.

If he had followed any of these scenarios, the outcome of this day would have been different.

Draco clenched his jaw and entered his room. He wouldn't start searching, but Severus had never said anything about using an outsider. It was time to collect some favours.

He grabbed three pieces of parchment and his quill and started writing furiously, his cold eyes scanning every word. Afterwards he called three owls, sending them flying into the cold January night. The letters would reach them this night already. He was sure they would understand the urgency of his request and start searching immediately.

The men he had sent his letters too were the only ones he trusted to do the job perfect. Sure, they worked in the underground, but that was what made them perfect for this job. They knew how to keep off the radar.

After changing in a shirt and pyjama pants, he crawled in bed. It was kind of ironic that he would have to thank his father for being able to contact these men. If Lucius hadn't made this sort of connections, Draco wouldn't have gotten help.

He guessed his father did something smart after all.

* * *

Light grey eyes flew open, the owner of them panting and trembling in the aftermath of the nightmare. Hands clenched the blankets, the body shaking with repressed sobs. He pulled his sheets tighter around him, trying to hide from the dark that threatened to swallow him.

The blankets didn't provide much protection. Soon the darkness would take him away too, just like it did with his daddy.

"Daddy!" Scorpius cried, but his daddy didn't come. Daddy wasn't there to save him. He grabbed his bunny doll and scrambled out of bed, running to his door, yanking it open.

He gulped when he entered the silent, dark hallway. Only a bit of moonlight shone through the windows, bathing the long hallway in weak, silver light.

Scorpius snivelled, disrupting the silence, and he clutched his bunny tighter to his chest. His bunny would protect him.

The dark was so scary; he didn't want to be alone. But his daddy wasn't here and he didn't know where his papa was. He didn't even know whether his mummy and Uncle Sev stayed for the night.

He looked around; he couldn't go back to his room – there was a monster that would take him away!

Suddenly he remembered that his big brother was just a few rooms further. He would go there and Teddy would protect him. Teddy would hide him from the darkness.

Determined he walked further, but stopped when he passed the pets' room. He looked at it and bit his lip. Surely, Ivory and Dagda were scared too? They wouldn't want to be alone either. Slowly Scorpius opened the door and looked around.

Ivory was sleeping on the windowsill and Dagda was curled up on a pillow on the floor, his head hidden underneath his small paws.

Scorpius tiptoed to Ivory, patting the fur softly. Ivory blinked and raised her head.

"Come, Ivory, we're going to Teddy," Scorpius whispered and stuck out his arm.

The little ferret yawned, but climbed on the offered arm, walking further up to lie down around Scorpius' neck.

Dagda woke up and sleepily mewled when Scorpius bent down to pick him up.

Scorpius held the kitten in his arms like a baby and hurried out of the room. Dagda decided he was too tired to make a fuss about his position and fell back asleep.

Silently, Scorpius opened the door to Teddy's room and slipped inside. He narrowed his eyes and saw the vague shape of Teddy buried in his blankets.

Hesitantly Scorpius shuffled to the bed, placing Dagda at the foot end. Ivory slipped off his shoulder and curled up against the kitten.

With shaking hands, Scorpius reached out and softly shook Teddy's shoulder.

"Teddy?" Scorpius whispered.

No reaction.

"Teddy, wake up," he repeated and shook harder.

Amber coloured eyes blinked and stared dazed at the boy in front of him. Teddy frowned when his brain finally woke up too and told him that Scorpius was in his room.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Scorpius, what are you doing here?"

"Can I sleep here, Teddy? I don't want to be alone." Scorpius bit his lip.

Teddy sighed annoyed, but looking at Scorpius' scared face, he couldn't bring himself to send the boy away.

He opened his sheets and made space. "Fine, get in," he murmured.

Scorpius beamed and quickly climbed in the bed. He shuffled under the blankets until only his eyes were peeking out of the sheets.

"Thank you, Teddy," he whispered.

Teddy huffed, but turned on his side, facing Scorpius. He closed his eyes and wanted to fall back asleep, but was stopped by Scorpius.

"Do you think daddy will be home soon?" Scorpius' voice sounded small.

"I don't know, Scorpius," Teddy replied irritated. He didn't want to think about the possibility that he would never see his dad again. Dad was strong; he would come back to them. He had to.

He was startled when he felt two small arms circling around his chest and a small, warm body snuggling against him. Scorpius burrowed his face under Teddy's chin.

"I hope daddy comes home soon," Scorpius snivelled. "I miss him."

"I miss him too," Teddy muttered and after a moment of hesitating, he slowly put his arms around Scorpius and hugged him back. "Good night."

"Good night," Scorpius smiled weakly, but felt a little better, engulfed in Teddy's comfortable, warm hug. He closed his eyes and knew the dark wouldn't be able to take him away now.

* * *

An amused grunt left the dark haired man's mouth when he finished reading the letter. He hadn't expected Malfoy to collect his favour that way, but he wasn't about to complain. It would be easy. All he had to do was going to Diagon Alley and try to find a trace of magic in an alley where Malfoy's lover had been kidnapped. Then he would have to compare that trace with the traces left on the remains of the destroyed house.

Normally searching for a particular trace would be hard, especially in a crowded place like Diagon Alley, but when a wizard used magic, he always left a certain trace with a feeling behind. Depending on the used magic, the trace could have a feeling of happiness, anger, sadness – or have a malicious feeling. He would search for the last one. Not many people visited Diagon Alley with malicious feelings and nobody destroyed a building without some kind of feeling. This task wouldn't be too hard for him.

He glanced at the name of a particular person mentioned at nearly the end of the letter and recognized it as the one who was Malfoy's personal messenger. He would send the information about the traces to this person and he would make sure that Malfoy received it.

The man took his wand and set the letter on fire. There would be no evidence that could give him problems later on.

He sighed and grabbed his jacket. A Malfoy who had to wait was a dangerous one and he valued his life. He closed his eyes, concentrated and Apparated to London.

* * *

A few miles to the east of London, a man with purple, spiky hair was rudely awoken by an incessant pecking on his hand.

"The fuck?" he muttered and groggily opened his eyes. He frowned when he noticed a brown owl staring in a reprimanding way.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked rudely and was punished by a sharp peck in his arm, before the owl dropped the letter and flew away.

The man hissed and growled. One of these days he would set those fucking feather balls on fire.

He grabbed the letter and squinted in the weak moonlight to read the content.

When he reached the end of the letter, he groaned and smacked his forehead. Damn that Malfoy to hell. For something as inane like a kidnapping, he called in his debt to ask around in the underworld.

Couldn't he be like other partners and wait in fear for the ransom letter?

At least he would be freed of his debt when he fulfilled the request. Sighing, he stood up and stretched, yawning widely. It was time to pay a visit to his pals in the underworld.

* * *

_Fourth of January_

The sun had barely rose up in the sky when Draco was already sitting at the dining table, all dressed and his hands clenched around a cup of tea. He had been sitting for a while now, having nothing better to do then to wait for the replies. It was strange waking up to a cold bed with no Harry next to him. For years he had been sleeping alone, but he had gotten used to sleeping next to Harry quickly.

It was _so hard_ not being able to do something to save Harry. If the situation hadn't been that horrible, he would have laughed - Draco Malfoy, the Prince of Slytherin, wanting to save someone. Saving someone was something Gryffindors did, not cold Slytherins. He understood why Severus had forbidden him to go out – someone needed to stay with Teddy and Scorpius – but that didn't mean he had to like it. He felt restless and hated the feeling of being helpless.

What if the kidnapper decided to kill Harry, not even bothering with a demand for ransom? Draco would have given the kidnapper all he wanted in return for Harry. But the kidnapper hadn't even tried to contact him. What was his purpose? Why kidnap someone and not even try to contact the family?

Draco clenched his jaw and stared out of the window. He probably should get up and wake the boys, but he didn't feel like he getting up to their rooms and wake them up and hearing them ask about Harry.

He slammed his fist down on the table in anger. "Fucking hell!" he swore and glared out of the window.

"Draco?"

He turned around and saw Daphne standing in the doorway looking uncertainly.

He blinked. "I thought you would have gone home yesterday," he muttered.

Hesitatingly, she walked further, keeping a wary eye on him as if she was afraid he would suddenly turn on her in a rage. "I decided it was better to stay with you and the boys now. You need me more than Blaise now."

Draco snorted.

"I'm really sorry, Draco. I should have been more careful," Daphne told him softly.

Draco shook his head. "Don't apologize; it's not your fault. You couldn't have known that Harry would be kidnapped."

"Still, I feel that if Potter had been walking in front of me, it wouldn't have happened."

"Yes well, we can all try to think of different scenarios, but that won't help us," Draco suddenly snapped. Then he shook his head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"I don't mind. I understand how you feel," Daphne sighed and sat down. "Do you think that the Aurors have found something by now?"

"I doubt that," Draco muttered darkly, not having much trust in the Aurors and the Ministry in general. They would probably put more effort in their search, considering it was Harry Potter who had been taking, but at this moment Harry didn't have a good reputation due to his relationship with Draco. What if there were a couple of bastards that decided that Harry had gotten what he deserved for keeping company with an ex – Slytherin?

"Draco, an owl is waiting for you with a letter." Severus appeared in the room. "May I ask you who you contacted last night?"

"Just a few contacts," Draco muttered distracted and hurried out of the room.

Severus stared after him looking suspiciously. He hoped Draco hadn't done something stupid.

* * *

Impatiently Draco fed the owls some treats before shooing them off. He opened the letter and scanned it quickly.

The contacts in the underworld hadn't brought up anything apparently. Nobody had heard of someone trying to kidnap Harry Potter. They were busy with trying to escape the Ministry's clutches and no one had dared to do something as obvious as kidnapping Harry Potter.

His other contact had been able to compare two trails of magic, but it wasn't something he was familiar with. That ruled out the known culprits. The only thing he could say about the trails that whoever it had been, it was someone who had started dabbling in the Dark Arts a while ago and who had a very malicious aura.

Draco sighed and threw down the letter. Now he still knew nothing. There were many people who used Dark Arts, so the information was practically useless.

"Fuck," he groaned.

* * *

One hour later, they had gotten news of the Aurors. Like expected, nobody had been able to find a trail or find a suspect. They would continue searching, but they weren't optimistic.

After hearing that, Draco had left the room to destroy everything in a room in the West wing. When he had finally stopped venting his anger, everything in the room had been demolished. Not one object was left whole.

* * *

Teddy and Scorpius had woken up at ten a.m. and had meekly entered the room. They had played with their food for a while, not in the mood to put something in their stomach and had finally left the table and had gone wandering in the Manor. Teddy was just aimlessly walking around, not seeing anything, not thinking about anything. His mind was blank.

Scorpius was following him silently, wringing his hands in his sweater, not really sure what to do. He had wanted to go to papa, but papa had been looking very scary and Scorpius hadn't wanted to make him mad. A mad papa was not a pleasant sight.

Normally they would have had lessons, but Severus had known that the boys wouldn't be able to concentrate as long as their dad was gone, so he had cancelled the lessons.

Severus went back to his house in the afternoon, saying he needed to work more on the antidote for the poison, because he had finally made a breakthrough with it. He still had to wait for the ingredients to arrive, but he was certain he had discovered the antidote. The murderer was smart, but unfortunately for him, Severus was the best Potions Master in the country and he had worked under Tom Riddle.

When you worked for a near immortal man with an insane desire to conquer the world and a sadistic nature, you learnt how to invent and dissect potions.

* * *

When evening came, Draco was so tense that he just stood up from the table at dinner and stormed to his room.

Soon after Scorpius and Teddy followed, leaving Daphne alone to fend for herself.

Teddy had immediately walked into his room, bringing Dagda with him and when Scorpius heard the lock click, he understood that Teddy didn't want his company or anyone else's for that matter. It hurt him, because he felt lonely and he didn't want to be alone, but he didn't want to anger Teddy. He didn't want his daddy to hear that he had been a bad boy when he came back.

He hesitated for a while in the corridor, debating whether or not he would go to his own room, but his fear of the dark stopped him. He fiddled a bit with the sleeves of his pyjama and Ivory sniffled a bit in his neck.

He bit on his lip and slowly turned around, making his way to his papa's room. He knew where papa had slept when he hadn't met his daddy and he thought he would find him there.

A few minutes later, he stood in front of a closed door. He hesitated again, but took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door.

"Come in," papa's voice growled.

Scorpius shivered when he heard the growl, but opened the door slowly.

Papa was standing next to the window, glaring at nothing in particular, still dressed. He turned to the door and raised his eyebrow when he saw his son.

"Scorpius, what are you doing here?" he asked and clenched his jaw when he noticed Ivory lying in Scorpius' neck. Merlin, but he loathed ferrets so much …

"I – I wanted to sleep with you," Scorpius mumbled, shuffling with his feet.

"Why?"

"Because I – I don't want to be a – alone," Scorpius muttered, head bowing. Normally papa wouldn't ask why he was there; did this mean that he didn't want him there? A sudden thought made Scorpius freeze. What if papa was mad at him, because daddy disappeared? Maybe papa blamed him, because he had wanted to go to the candy store desperately. But he hadn't wanted his daddy to disappear because of him!

Draco was startled when Scorpius started crying softly. He immediately rushed over, hugging Scorpius to his chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm sorry," Scorpius cried.

"What for?" Draco asked confused.

"I didn't want daddy to disappear!" Scorpius sobbed and buried his face in his papa's neck. Ivory squeaked and jumped on the floor, scurrying over to a corner of the room where he curled up and watched the duo with wary eyes.

"I know you didn't, sweetie, it's not your fault," Draco soothed, rubbing his hands over the small back of his son.

"But – but if I didn't go to the candy store, then daddy would be here now," Scorpius whimpered.

Draco sighed and picked up his son, placing him on his lap when he sat down on his bed against the headboard. "Scorpius, listen to me carefully," he started and tilted Scorpius' chin up, forcing him to look in his eyes. "It isn't your fault that daddy disappeared. It was the fault of an evil man. You did nothing wrong."

"Will daddy be angry at me?" Teary grey eyes stared at him in fear.

Draco kissed his forehead. "Daddy won't be angry at you when he comes back. I promise."

Two small arms came up to wrap around his neck. Draco grabbed his wand and pointed it at the window. One muttered spell later, the curtains had closed and the room was dark now.

Scorpius whimpered and buried his face under Draco's chin.

"Ssh, I'm not going anywhere. You can stay here for the night," Draco whispered and carefully maneuvered them both underneath the blankets, keeping his arms around Scorpius' back.

Before Draco closed his eyes, he whispered another charm that would let him know immediately if Teddy got upset. It was a charm he had used when Scorpius was still a baby.

It wasn't long before they both fell in a restless sleep.

* * *

_Fifth of January_

It was the third day of Harry's kidnapping and Draco was slowly going insane with not knowing where Harry was and if he was okay. He would give everything to have Harry back.

Teddy had taken to stay in his room, only coming out when it was time to eat and even then he only played with his food, shoving it back and forth on his plate before disappearing again.

Draco had finally had enough and followed Teddy after telling Scorpius to stay with his mother while he talked to Teddy.

Scorpius had nodded with wide eyes and had gone back to Daphne.

When Draco arrived at Teddy's room, he softly knocked on the door. He waited, but when he didn't receive an answer, he opened the door slowly.

Teddy was sitting in bed, staring out of the window.

"Hello Teddy," Draco said softly and walked over to the bed, sitting down on it while facing the young boy.

Teddy didn't react.

"I know how you're feeling, Teddy, but I can promise you that Harry will come back," Draco tried, not sure whether Teddy would appreciate a hug. Teddy hung always around Harry after all; they hadn't bonded much.

"How do you know dad will come back?" Teddy whispered suddenly.

"I knew your dad since our first year in Hogwarts and if there is one thing that you can be sure about Harry, then it is that he is incredibly stubborn and he doesn't give up," Draco told him. "He had many problems when he was in school, but he never gave up, no matter how scary the situation was or how impossible. He always managed to come out of it alive. And he will do that again now. He will come back, Teddy."

Teddy brought his legs up and hugged his knees to his chest. "How come you like dad now?" he asked out of the blue, startling Draco.

He hadn't expected Teddy to ask that.

For a moment it was silent while Draco took the time to gather his thoughts. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that his answer was important to the boy.

"Well, when I first met your dad, I wanted to be friends with him" Draco started slowly.

Teddy blinked. "Really?" he asked surprised. Dad had never told him that.

"Yes, but I kind of messed it up, so after that we were school enemies," Draco continued; not proud of thinking about that again. Those weren't exactly moments he was proud of. "In our seventh year, he fought against an evil man who wanted to take over the Wizarding world and Harry managed to defeat him. In that same fight, I got locked up in a room that was on fire and your dad came to save me. After that, we just avoided each other and I didn't see him for years until he found Scorpius and brought him back to me a couple of months ago in Diagon Alley." He took a deep breath. "I … always have liked him, I think, I just didn't want to admit it. All I can say is that your dad makes me really happy and I don't want to lose him."

"You make dad happy too, you know," Teddy muttered, still avoiding Draco's eyes. "I never saw him this happy with Ginny."

"That's a relief to hear," Draco smiled and Teddy smiled weakly back. "I really want us to be a family, Teddy," he told him sincerely.

Teddy hesitated and bit on his lip. "Yeah, I want that too," he whispered after a long moment of silence. "Are you going to marry dad?" he suddenly asked.

Draco almost chocked on his saliva. "Eh, that's a bit early to ask that, don't you think?" he chuckled weakly.

Teddy shrugged. "You said you don't want to lose him."

Draco shifted, crossing his legs. "Well, I think I would like to marry your dad one day, yes. Would you be okay with that?" he asked him uncertainly.

Now it was clear that Teddy was hesitating and Draco waited with baited breath. "I think I'll be okay with that," he muttered after five minutes. "Would that make me your son too?" he asked in a small voice.

"Well, yes. But you don't have to call me dad or papa or something like that if you don't want to," Draco hurried to say. How this conversation took a turn from reassuring Teddy Harry would come back to Draco proposing to Harry, he didn't understand.

Teddy looked down at his feet, fiddling with a few loose threads of his pants. "I never had two parents before," he mumbled almost inaudibly.

"I never had two sons before," Draco replied smiling.

Teddy looked up and smiled shyly back. He stared at Draco uncertainly and Draco stared back, waiting for whatever Teddy was going to do next.

The young boy surprised him by rising up on his knees and coming to sit next to him. Arms stretched out and Teddy hugged him awkwardly, feeling strange to hug someone besides his dad and his grandmother.

At first Draco was shocked, but he quickly hugged back, rubbing Teddy's back.

Teddy laid his head on Draco's shoulder. "Do you really think dad will be back soon?" he asked in a small voice.

"I promise, Teddy, that your dad will be back soon," Draco whispered back.

If Harry wasn't back in a week, Draco would go searching. He would search in every building, looking through whole England if he had too. Not only he depended on Harry, but their two little boys needed their daddy back too.

* * *

_Sixth of January_

Harry groaned when he woke up. He shook his head and winced when his sore body protested with the action. He didn't know how long he had been here. It could be a few days, it could be a few weeks. After the injection, he had passed out from the excruciating pain and when he regained consciousness, he didn't know how much time had passed.

The man hadn't come back and Harry wondered if he would just leave him here to die of starvation and let his corpse rot here.

Thinking of Draco and Teddy and Scorpius renewed his desire to break free and he began to struggle against his bounds. It didn't feel like normal rope, so it had to be something magical.

He tried to draw his magic to the surface, trying to break through the magical barrier on the binds. His magic rose up, but when it came to the surface, it suddenly disappeared, letting Harry know that whatever was binding him, it was absorbing magic.

He frowned. This was not good. He didn't know where he was, how long he had been here (though the hollow feeling of his stomach and the light feeling of dizziness every time he moved, let him know that it had been quite a while since he had eaten), who had taken him and how he was going to escape without a wand.

_Fuck._

Sometimes his life really sucked. He had thought that he could live a relatively normal life after defeating Voldemort, but apparently Fate had decided to screw around with him a bit more.

Absently he wondered if he had done something really bad in a past life to deserve all the shit happening to him.

He tensed when the door suddenly flew open and footsteps walked over to him.

"Well, Potter, I think it's time that we moved you, hm?" his kidnapper chuckled darkly and before Harry could do anything, he felt a spell hitting him and before he lost consciousness again, he realized that he was hit with a Stunner spell. He really hated those.

Where would the man bring him now?

* * *

The man stared pensively at Harry. He really wanted to kill him now, making him pay for all his suffering, but that would have to wait. His revenge would taste a thousand times better if he waited for a couple months more.

He grinned and untied Harry, placing him in a sitting position against the wall. He took off the blindfold and the gag.

Harry's head rolled to the side, his whole body slumping to the wall.

The man sneered. There was a quick flash lighting the dark room and afterwards he walked to his owl.

"You know who to go to," he muttered and sent the owl flying into the night.

Time to bring Potter to the place. He was sure that Malfoy would be eager to know how his lover was doing.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: a little bit of violence and I put two clues related to the murderer's identity in this chapter. Can you spot them? ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> And yes, yes, my fighting scenes could use some improvement ^^; I'm better at writing angst than fighting scenes >_>

**Chapter 30**

_Sixth of January_

When Draco woke up, he noticed he was lying on the edge of his bed, his son sprawled out next to him. His face was burrowed in the pillow, his little hands clenching the sheets tightly.

Draco shook his head exasperatedly, but smiled fondly. Scorpius had always been a restless sleeper.

He smoothed out the ruffled, blond hair and gave Scorpius a soft kiss on his forehead before carefully easing out of bed, taking care to not disturb his son.

Silently he got dressed and made his way downstairs.

When he arrived in the dining room, the sight that met him made him halt.

A glaring Daphne was struggling to untie a letter from a brown owl while the owl was pecking her hands.

"Stupid fucking owl!" she hissed, breathing heavily. Some strands of her hair had escaped her bun, falling in front of her eyes.

"It is a good thing that Blaise can't see you now," Draco said lightly, startling Daphne who jumped and scowled at him. "He would forever tease you with the fact that you lose against a mere owl."

"Fuck you," she muttered annoyed.

"Sorry, not interested," Draco smirked.

"Asshole; if you think you get better results, then try to get that letter on your own," she snapped and stalked over to her chair, crossing her arms and huffed.

Draco rolled his eyes, but walked over to the owl. It was looking at him, seemingly wary.

He stuck out his hand and the owl promptly offered his paw.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Daphne muttered irritated.

The moment that Draco had the letter in his hand, the owl took off quickly through the open window. A house elf appeared to close the window before leaving again.

Draco frowned when he saw no name on the letter. Warily he casted some detecting spells on the letter. It wouldn't be the first time that he received letters meant to harm him.

When the spells revealed nothing, he opened the letter. Something fell out of the parchment and landed on the table.

Draco picked it up and to his shock and disbelief it showed a photo of Harry, slumped against a wall. The Harry in the photo barely moved, his eyes closed.

Fear gripped his heart and Draco read the letter, trembling in fear and fury.

' _Do you miss your lover, Malfoy?_

_If you want him back, meet us at the abandoned path in the forest near your house._

_Bring someone else with you and Potter pays the price.'_

_Harry was alive._ He was alive and Draco would get him back.

Daphne stared at him worriedly. What did the letter contain that made Draco so pale?

"Draco, dear, are you all right?" she asked concerned.

When he looked at her, she was startled to see his strange, gleaming eyes.

"That asshole is giving Harry back. I have to go now," Draco replied quickly. "Stay with the boys, please." He turned around and hurried out of the dining room.

Daphne followed. "Wait, Draco, won't you take someone with you?" she asked, her mind reeling in shock of hearing the news. The kidnapper was giving Potter back. Why would he do that without demanding something? "Who knows; it's probably a trap."

"I don't care. I'm getting Harry back; that's all I care about," he snapped, grabbing his jacket. "He forbade me from bringing someone with me; besides, if I'm alone, I have the chance to kill that son of a bitch," he added grimly.

"But it doesn't make any sense!" she said shrilly. "He asks for nothing and yet he gives Potter back after three days? Who would do something like that? It's dangerous, Draco; what if that person tries to kill you? What if it's a trap?"

"I can defend myself just fine," Draco replied annoyed. "As soon as I have Harry, I'll send you a message."

"Wait, no …" Daphne tried to protest, but Draco had already left the manor. She cursed loudly, glaring. "Damn it, Malfoy, you better come back safe!" she hissed and stalked to the living room, sitting down on the couch. She crossed her arms and started tapping her foot, making a loud _clack – clack_ sound.

Merlin, she hated waiting.

* * *

The moment Draco was out of the door, he broke in a run, adrenaline coursing through his veins, urging him to go even further.

_So close._ He was so close to having his Harry back. He didn't care that it could be a trap, he didn't care that it was dangerous (and wasn't that something he thought he would never say), all he cared about was that he would have Harry back in his arms, back in his home with their boys.

His legs started to cramp, his lungs were burning, but he didn't stop. He could take the cramps and the burning lungs; it didn't matter.

All that mattered was his lover who was waiting for him.

* * *

Harry woke up groggily, confused when he heard birds chirping and the cold, harsh wind tearing through his clothes, making him shiver violently.

Where was he now?

"You're finally awake." The cold yet amused voice of his kidnapper sounded next to him.

Harry tensed.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to kill you here." Rustling of clothes.

Once again, Harry cursed his lack of sight and the lack of his wand. It was irritating him to no end to not be able to see the man.

"I sent your lover a letter this morning, telling him where to meet us," the man continued.

Harry stiffened. _Draco_. Draco shouldn't come; he would be in more danger than Harry and Harry wouldn't be able to save him. Adrenaline started to fill his body and he began to struggle hard; panic brewing in the back of his head, but he pushed it away.

Panic wouldn't help him now.

The tip of a wand against his throat made him still.

"Now, Potter, you have been such a good boy; don't fuck up now," the man warned him. "I'm not planning on killing Malfoy; that would be a waste of spells and energy."

"Would you mind if I wasted one particular curse on you?" A cold, harsh voice made Harry's heart jump and fear for the other person's safety filled his body.

Draco was here.

* * *

When Draco arrived at the beginning of the path, mentioned in the letter, he slowed down, gripping his wand tighter and carefully looking around while making his way down on the path.

Every cell in his body wanted nothing more than to keep running, but his self-preservation warned him to be careful.

It wouldn't do to get hurt or worse killed, if he wanted to save Harry.

He tensed when he heard a man saying, "Don't fuck up now."

He walked off the path, in between the large oak trees. He hid behind a fairly large one and peeked around it. His heart stopped for a few seconds when he saw Harry sitting on the ground - bound, blindfolded and gagged. Someone, whose face was hidden underneath his dark cloak, had his wand pressed against Harry's throat.

The cloaked man continued, "I'm not planning on killing Malfoy; that would be a waste of spells and energy."

Draco stepped from behind the tree. "Would you mind if I wasted one particular curse on you?" he asked coldly and stared icily at the man who turned to face him, face still hidden.

"Ah, so you did come alone. You're smarter than I thought," the man sneered.

"You're stupider than I thought if you think you can get away with this," Draco growled and with one quick snap, the tree behind the man had caught fire.

The man cursed and without paying attention to Harry who had started struggling again with the ropes, he jumped aside, out of the fire's reach.

"That wasn't very nice, Malfoy," the man mocked and this time it was Draco who had to jump out of reach of a dark purple spell.

Draco cursed when the spell made a hole through his robe; if that spell had hit his body …

Meanwhile Harry had started to struggle more; it was difficult trying to free himself while being blindfolded and trying to concentrate on the fight that was going on around him. His heart stopped every time he heard Draco curse and he was hoping Draco wasn't hurt too badly.

"You really should be nicer to the one who give you your lover back."

Finally, Draco could hear the annoyance in the man's voice. It had irked him to no end to hear the amused, sneering voice and it felt like a small victory that he had managed to annoy the man.

During the fight, he had acquired some minor cuts and bruises and a few burn marks, because his attention was partly on Harry. He wanted to hurt that son of a bitch – well, he wanted to kill him truthfully – but he was afraid to hurt Harry. What if his spell or curse hit Harry instead of the man? It wasn't as if he had a clear shot - the unknown man was constantly hovering behind or next to Harry, making it difficult for Draco to hit him badly.

Draco gritted his teeth, trying to come up with a spell that would stop the man.

* * *

Beads of sweat were trailing down Harry's face. He was still struggling with the ropes and he had managed to make the knot looser, but his head started to feel very light – an repercussion of having had no food in his body for a long time.

He shook his head harshly, not wanting to lose consciousness now. He tensed when the sounds of fighting had stopped and he could only hear laboured breathing a few feet away from him and a foot behind him.

"Really, where are your manners, Malfoy? I expected a more civilized encounter," the man said in a mocking tone.

Draco gripped his wand tighter and pointed it at the chest of the man. It would be risky, but it was worth a shot. If he used that curse now, the man wouldn't be able to get away. "Sectum …"

"Ah, ah, ah, you don't want to use that spell, if you don't want your toy to get hurt," the man whispered darkly and pointed his wand at Harry's head. "Go on, Malfoy, I dare you. How long do you think it would take you to say that spell before I can kill Potter?"

Draco clenched his jaw; his eyes betraying his fury. He was trapped. He could say the spell quickly, but then it wouldn't have the desired effect, because spells of this sort required a lot of attention.

However, he didn't have to worry any longer.

Harry could barely contain his cry of relief when he finally managed to release his hands. He jerked the rope off of him and ripped the blindfold of his eyes. He winced when the daylight hit his eyes – that were sensitive from being blinded so long – and squinted, feeling relieved when he saw that Draco was mostly unharmed and standing across of him.

Draco hadn't noticed him having freed himself, having all his attention on his kidnapper.

He quickly took in the situation; Draco was still alive and barely harmed and from the harsh breathing, Harry concluded that his kidnapper was standing behind him, probably a bit to his right. He knew he couldn't do much; he didn't have his wand with him (he wondered whether Daphne or one of his boys had picked it up) so he wouldn't be of much help in the magic department.

But to every problem, there was a solution. Slowly, Harry reached out with his left hand that was hidden from sight from the kidnapper and searched the ground, looking for something that could help him.

His hand closed around something hard and sharp. That would have to do.

* * *

"You know, I'm getting tired of this," the man sighed and suddenly his wand was pointed at Draco who froze. "I have been very nice to you, but considering you don't want to quit, I have to show you what happens when you get in my way. Cru…"

Draco jumped out of the way of the curse's reach, but he didn't have to do that. His eyes widened when Harry suddenly sprang up and threw a rock the size of his hand at the kidnapper.

The man's head was slapped harshly to his side when the rock hit his head and he groaned and his knees buckled, his wand hanging loosely next to his hip.

This was Draco's chance.

"Petrificus Totalus!" he cried, but just when the spell was about to hit the masked man, he was able to Apparate away, but not before Draco could catch a glimpse of light blond hair.

One second later, only he and Harry were left in the open space.

Harry groaned and grabbed his head. He had moved too fast and the world was now spinning around him.

"Harry!" Draco ran towards him and hugged him tightly to his chest, burying his face in Harry's hair. "Merlin, I'm so happy I got you back!" he whispered and kissed Harry on his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, his lips. "Don't ever scare me like that again! I thought I had lost you!"

Harry clung weakly to the warm, hard body in front of him, trying to stay conscious even though it was getting more difficult. "I'm happy I'm back too," he mumbled and he shivered when he felt something wet hit his cheeks.

Only a few seconds later, he realized that Draco was crying.

Harry lifted his head and grabbed Draco's face between his hands, looking right into his eyes. "Sssh, I'm back. I'm not going to leave," he whispered and kissed Draco softly on his lips, relaxing under the familiar touch and he couldn't hold back the few tears that escaped his eyes at seeing Draco again.

"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he? What did he do to you?" Draco asked frantically, his hands trailing over Harry's body, feeling for signs of injuries and to reassure himself that Harry was indeed in his arms, that he was back with him.

"I'm okay. He didn't hurt me much. He just tied me up and blindfolded me and – how long was I gone?" Harry asked, suddenly realizing that he had no clue how long he had been kidnapped.

"Almost four days. Scorpius and Teddy were out of their mind with worry; don't ever do that to us again, do you hear me?" Draco ordered, his worry mixing with anger.

"I promise I will be more careful from now on when I go outside," Harry murmured, kissing Draco again.

"Don't think I'm going to let you out alone after this," Draco growled. "Are you sure he didn't hurt you?"

Harry hesitated, not sure if he should tell Draco about the potion that the man had injected in his body. It wasn't as if it was poison – he would have felt it by now if it had been poison. Still the question remained, _what had that man injected in him?_

"Harry? What did that man do to you?" Draco repeated his question, feeling more and more anxious when he saw the hesitation in Harry's eyes. _What had that son of a bitch done to him?_

"He … injected some kind of potion in me," Harry replied hesitatingly.

Grey eyes widened horrified.

"But it wasn't poison, I'm sure of that!" Harry hurried to reassure the other man. "If it was, I would have felt the effects by now."

"I'm getting you to the hospital," Draco said grimly and stood up and picked Harry up. "I'm not risking anything. If that fucker injected you with something, I want to know what."

"Draco, I can walk on my own," Harry protested, feeling a bit humiliated.

"Harry, please," Draco replied, uncharacteristically soft and looked at him pleadingly.

Harry bit on his lip, but put his head on Draco's shoulder, understanding that Draco just needed to take care for him now – even though it sounded stupid and useless to Harry.

Draco had to walk back to the beginning of the path, because some of the wards of the Malfoy manor expanded to the open place.

"How are Scorpius and Teddy?" Harry asked worriedly, thinking about how upset Teddy would have been.

"They are very worried about you. I don't think they ate much these past few days – I don't think anyone did," Draco added softly.

"I'm sorry," Harry muttered, looking down.

Draco snorted weakly. "What are you apologizing for? It's not like you asked to be kidnapped," he murmured, kissing Harry's temple. He couldn't get enough of touching him now that he had him back in his arms. "Don't even think you're going to leave my sight ever again."

Harry scowled, disliking the possessive tone, but didn't bother with replying, knowing that it would be futile and to be honest, he was just too damned relieved and too damned happy that he was back with Draco. He didn't want to ruin their reunion with a fight.

"We have to let the boys know. I want to see them," Harry said.

Draco nodded. "When you're getting checked, I'm going to send a message to Daphne."

Harry frowned. "Daphne? I thought she had to leave a few days ago?"

"She didn't; she decided to stay as long as you weren't back." Draco shifted him a bit, tightening his hold on the man in his arms. "Hold on tight now, I'm going to Apparate."

Harry swallowed and closed his eyes. _God damn it, but he hated Apparating._

* * *

Daphne startled when a bright silver Patronus in the form of a panther appeared through the wall. She recognized it as the Patronus of Draco and immediately sprang up alert, her heart beating hard and fast, feeling as if her heart would jump out of her chest.

' _Daphne, I got Harry! I'm with him now in Saint Mungos, getting a checkup for him. I'm back with him as soon as I can.'_

Daphne laughed weakly, tears leaking out of her eyes, dripping on the marble floor. Her knees buckled and she sank to the floor in relief.

Potter was safe. He was back.

She clapped her hand for her mouth and smiled. Potter had lived up to his reputation; he was still hard to kill.

"Mummy? Why are you on the floor? Are you hurt? Why are you crying?" Scorpius asked afraid, standing in the doorway.

She beckoned him to her and he slowly approached her, looking worriedly, his bunny clenched to his chest. She hugged him to her chest, pressing kisses on his forehead.

"I'm crying, because I'm happy, sweetie," she whispered in his ear. "Papa just sent a message. He found your daddy back!"

Scorpius' eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Confusion, fear and hope were flashing over his face and his lower lip trembled. "Really?" he whispered, not daring to believe his ears. Was it true? Had papa found daddy? Was daddy coming home?

Mummy nodded, a smile lightening up her face. "I mean it, sweetheart. Your daddy is coming back home."

Scorpius squealed and threw his arms around his mummy's neck, hugging her tightly while he began to cry in relief.

"Daddy is coming back!" he repeated over and over again.

Daphne smiled wider and nodded.

"I have to tell Teddy!" Scorpius yelled excitedly and ran out of the room. His feet made a loud tapping sound on the stairs and the floor while he hurried to Teddy's room. His whole face was beaming and he was grinning. Daddy was coming back!

Teddy looked up annoyed when his door burst open and a little, blond thing threw himself at him.

"Oomph," Teddy groaned when the thing landed on his chest, making breathing difficult. "What is your problem?" he asked harshly.

Scorpius looked up and Teddy frowned when he saw how happy Scorpius was looking at him. Two small arms came up to his neck and Scorpius was hugging him tightly.

"Daddy is coming back!" Scorpius squealed loudly.

Teddy stared at him, not registering the words. How … what … why …

"Come on, Teddy! We have to go down to be there when daddy comes back!" Scorpius urged him on and tugged on his hand.

In a daze Teddy followed the boy downstairs. He didn't dare to hope. His dad had been gone for days, how would he suddenly come back? And where was Draco?

Staring ahead of him, Teddy sat down on the couch, his hands clenched on his lap while Scorpius was chattering about the things he would do when daddy arrived. He would make pictures for him, he would play with him and he would cook for him (to which Daphne immediately told him that he was under no circumstances allowed to be near the kitchen). Scorpius had pouted, but had relented; he was too happy to have his daddy back to care about something else. And he was proud of his papa too. After all, papa had kept his promise and he had brought his daddy back.

Daphne was a bit worried about the lack of reaction on Teddy's part, but figured it was a lot for the boy to take in. He would need to see Potter in person to believe he was back.

Hell, she had trouble believing it and she knew Draco wouldn't lie about that!

* * *

"All right, we're going to examine your blood on every possible potion we can think of and we will immediately let you know what it was you were injected with, Mister Potter," Healer Rowland informed Harry and Draco while looking through the file.

"Thank you." Harry nodded.

He was sitting of the examination table and had had a full body scan. The scan hadn't revealed anything special, so the Healer had taken blood to run a couple of tests on it.

Harry had told him what he had experienced when the injection had happened, but like Rowland told them, a lot of potions could cause excruciating pain.

Draco had been hovering around him anxiously and had held his hand the entire time, not once letting go.

Two Aurors, who had been at the hospital because a suspect had been brought in, had questioned Harry about his kidnapping. They thought it strange that the kidnapper would just let Harry go without demanding a ransom or anything else, but there wasn't much they could do about it. Eventually they left, promising they would keep an eye out for the kidnapper.

"Can we go home now?" Draco asked impatiently.

"Draco," Harry scolded.

Rowland chuckled, his brown eyes looking at the couple amused. "Go on, I'm not stopping you. Just keep out of trouble from now on, Mister Potter."

"I'll try," Harry retorted dryly.

They left the examination room and Harry leaned against Draco's side with a sigh.

"How are you feeling now?" Draco asked softly, rubbing Harry's palm tenderly. The Healer hadn't found much wrong with Harry. He was dehydrated and weak because of the lack of food in his body, but Rowland had assured them that could be easily fixed with some rest and a good meal.

"I'm still feeling a bit light in the head, but otherwise I'm fine. I just want to go home now and be with our boys," Harry replied softly.

"My thought exactly," Draco whispered and they decided to use the Floo of the Hospital, because Harry complained he would be sick if he had to Apparate again.

When they stumbled out of the fireplace, coughing a bit of the sooth up, they were attacked by a little, blond blur who was squealing loudly and sobbing at the same time.

"DADDY! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Scorpius cried.

Tears began to prick in Harry's eyes and he bent down to hug the boy fiercely to him.

"God, I missed you so much, honey," Harry whispered and relished in the feeling of having the boy he now considered as his son back in his arms.

"Don't ever leave us again," Scorpius whimpered, rubbing his face against Harry's shoulder like a little kitten.

"I promise," Harry swore. He looked up right into teary, blue eyes.

Teddy was staring at his dad in shock. His dad looked very pale and had bags underneath his eyes, but the emerald eyes still sparkled. His cheekbones seemed more pronounced and he looked tired, but he was _there_. He was back home, back with Teddy.

"Teddy, sweetie, come here," his dad said softly and opened his arms. "I missed you."

A sob tore through his throat and he flew to Harry, clinging to him and never wanting to let go of him.

"Dad, dad, dad," Teddy cried.

Harry sat down on the floor, not caring if his pants got even dirtier and pulled Teddy on his lap, hugging him tightly and rocking him back and forth. "Sssh, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here," he muttered over and over again in a soothing voice.

Scorpius bit on his lip; he wanted to hug his daddy more, but he understood that Teddy now needed his time with daddy. He would get his time with daddy later, he was sure of it. Daddy wasn't going anywhere now.

He toddled over to his papa, reaching out with his arms. Papa bent down and picked him up, settling him on his hip.

Scorpius kissed his cheek. "Thank you, papa," he smiled and hugged him.

Papa looked surprised. "What for?"

"For bringing daddy back."

Draco smiled and looked at the scene tenderly. Harry was back where he belonged - right in his family.

Daphne smiled. At least Potter was back; they would worry about the kidnapper later.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: lemon, surprise, some drama
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 31**

When Harry's buttocks started to feel numb, he decided it was time to get up. With difficulty, he managed to stand up and placed his arms around Teddy's back to support the boy while he walked over to the couch.

Draco joined him, sitting next to him with Scorpius on his lap.

"Is daddy hurt?" Scorpius asked worriedly and carefully traced the black shadows under Harry's eyes.

Harry caught the small hand in his own and smiled reassuringly. "No, Scorpius, I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired."

"Oh, okay." Scorpius nodded.

Daphne took a seat across from the other four. "Potter, don't ever do that again! We were all worried to death!" she scolded.

"So I've heard," Harry muttered. He shifted and winced a bit when his muscles protested.

Draco noticed the wince. "Harry, why don't you go take a bath to relax a bit?" he suggested.

Harry nodded; he could use a bath right now. He was sure he smelled badly and the warm water would relax his muscles.

He tried to place Teddy on the couch, but the boy simply refused to let him go; clinging even harder to him; whimpering.

"Teddy, sweetheart, can you let me go? I need to take a bath," Harry murmured, rubbing the small back.

Teddy shook his head, his body trembling. "No, no, no. Not going," he muttered, burying his face in Harry's neck.

Harry looked a bit helplessly at Draco and Daphne. Daphne shrugged; she had an idea as to why Teddy reacted like that and couldn't blame him for it. It was a normal reaction.

Scorpius was staring at Teddy, not used to seeing him so clingy. Why wouldn't Teddy allow their daddy to take a bath? Daddy wasn't going anywhere; he had promised that.

Without thinking, Scorpius reached out to pat Teddy's shoulder. "Teddy, you have to let go of daddy," he told him, but cried out when his hand was slapped away harshly. Scorpius cradled his hand to his chest and tears escaped from his eyes when he felt the stinging pain. Teddy had slapped his hand very hard.

"Don't touch me!" Teddy hissed and his angry eyes scared the other boy.

"Teddy! Apologize to Scorpius!" Harry said angrily. "Scorpius hasn't done anything to deserve that!"

Stubbornly Teddy shook his head. He didn't want to apologize to the other boy. He wanted Scorpius to leave him and his dad alone. He was the only son of Harry; Scorpius didn't belong with them.

Harry opened his mouth to scold Teddy again, but was stopped by Draco who was soothing Scorpius.

"I'm sure Teddy didn't mean to hurt Scorpius. He's probably still stressed from the past few days," he sighed and dropped a kiss on Scorpius' forehead.

Scorpius sniffled a bit, but had stopped crying.

Harry frowned, but decided to let it go. Maybe Draco was right and Teddy was stressed. It was plausible, considering Teddy normally wasn't violent.

"All right, but Teddy, I really need to take a bath," Harry tried again.

Daphne stood up and walked over to Harry and Teddy. She grabbed Teddy's arms and tugged gently at them until the boy released his hold on Harry. She tilted him off Harry's lap and brought the struggling boy over to her chair.

"Come on, Teddy, we will sit here and wait until your dad is done with his bath," she said calmly. "Afterwards you can go back to him."

Teddy frowned, not liking the idea of being separated from his dad, but he stopped struggling.

Harry sighed and stood up, grabbing the couch when the world around him started spinning.

"I'll help you," Draco said immediately and settled Scorpius on the couch.

"No, no need. I can go on my own, thank you," Harry huffed, his eyes narrowing. He was only kidnapped for a while, not crippled!

"Harry, your legs are trembling. What if you fall down the stairs?" Draco replied with a frown.

Scorpius startled. "No, daddy can't fall down the stairs!" he exclaimed. "Daddy will get hurt! Daddy can't get hurt!"

"You heard our son, Harry," Draco smirked and grabbed Harry's arm.

Harry wanted to protest, but Daphne interrupted. "Potter, don't bother arguing. Use your common sense; you haven't eaten in days, you would probably lose consciousness on the stairs and fall down. For once in your bloody life, let someone else take care of you!" she snapped.

Harry clenched his jaw, hating the insinuation that he was too weak to take care of himself, but turned around and let Draco lead him out of the room.

Scorpius climbed off the couch and toddled over to his mother. Keeping one arm around Teddy to prevent him from running away, Daphne guided her son up on the chair, in her lap.

"Daddy is going to stay now, right? He won't leave us, right, mummy?" he asked anxiously.

She began to caress his hair. "Daddy isn't going to leave you again; papa will protect him," she assured the boy. She was certain that Draco wouldn't let Potter out of his sight from now on. And to be honest, she didn't envy Potter for that. Malfoys were known for being extremely possessive over something or someone they considered theirs. Daphne was willing to bet a thousand Galleons that Draco was the most possessive one of all the Malfoys.

It was too bad for Potter, but his days of being reckless with his own safety were gone now.

* * *

Draco closed the door of the bathroom behind them and with a quick flick of his wand; the water started pouring in the bathtub.

He turned around to find a scowling Harry, leaning against the sink. "I'm not a child, Draco. I don't need your help."

Draco sighed. "Harry, please, you just went through a traumatizing …"

"I'm fine, Draco! I'm not bloody traumatized," Harry snapped, crossing his arms. "I've been through worse."

Grey eyes hardened. "I know that and you shouldn't have had to. However, you belong to me now and I want to take care of you. I missed you so fucking much these past couple of days; is it too much to ask that I want to take care of you?" he asked, stepping closer to Harry. "I wasn't there to help you when you needed me, so I want to help you now."

Harry bit his lip, anger slowly disappearing. "It isn't your fault that I was kidnapped," he murmured, his green eyes softening. "You couldn't have anticipated that."

Draco snorted, closing the distance between him and his lover and hugged him. "Actually I should have expected something like that to happen, considering we're talking about you," he replied soberly, not one trace of humour in his voice.

Harry smiled wryly and kissed Draco softly. It was just the pressure of lips against lips; it was meant to reassure each other of their presence.

Draco broke the kiss to stop the water before the bath would overflow. Lavender shampoo was added to the warm water, giving it a light purple tint and the calming scent of the purple flower rose up in the room.

Between removing Harry's dirty clothes, they kept stealing kisses and when Harry sank in to the water and leaned back against the bathtub, Draco sat behind him, rolling his sleeves up and started to wash Harry. This time Harry didn't protest, enjoying the warm water and the caressing hands of Draco too much.

"I'm still wondering who that man was." Draco broke the silence. "I don't know how he did it, but I never saw his face once during the fight, nor recognized his voice. I only saw some of his blond hair before he Apparated away."

"I didn't see his face either," Harry sighed and stretched his legs. "But I'm fairly certain it was the man who poisoned those people."

The hands on his chest stilled. "He was the murderer?" Draco said shocked and shook his head. "How do you know that?"

"He mentioned some things from that letter I received months ago," Harry replied.

"This is getting seriously fucked up," Draco muttered.

Harry agreed. He still didn't understand the motive of the murderer. Why kidnap him and give him back three days later alive? Why poison all those people to get his attention? What was the purpose of all that? It didn't make sense. Who did Harry know who carried such a huge grudge against him that he would start to kill people?

He stiffened. Could it be … him?

Draco felt Harry tense and furrowed his eyebrows. "Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry licked his lips and felt nervous, but he had to ask Draco. "Draco, your father … is he still in prison?"

"Of course. He's there for the rest of his life. If he broke out, I would have known immediately. Why?" Two seconds later he understood Harry's sudden question. "You thought my father is the murderer," he mumbled. It wasn't that far-fetched; Lucius had always hated Harry.

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I just thought …" he trailed off.

"Don't worry; I understand why you would think that. Hell, if I wasn't hundred per cent sure that father is still in Azkaban, I would have suspected him too," Draco smiled wryly and started washing Harry's back.

They both looked up when someone knocked on the door.

"Uncle Sev wants to speak with you, Draco," Teddy's voice called out.

Draco frowned. "What is he doing here?"

"Don't know. Why don't you go and find out?" Harry suggested.

"You're sure you will be okay here alone?" Draco asked uncertainly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, Draco, I'll be fine. Don't worry. It's not like I'm going to drown if you leave me alone."

At this Draco paused and looked alarmed.

"Draco, just go," Harry insisted.

Draco looked doubtfully, but after seeing Harry's determined face, he sighed and nodded. He turned back around and walked out of the bathroom, smiling fleetingly at Teddy on his way downstairs.

* * *

Teddy stared at the closed door, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. His hand was itching to turn the handle and enter the bathroom. But it was rude to enter a bathroom when someone was in it. Harry had told him that years ago when he was four and had ran into the bathroom one evening to show a picture he had made only to find his godfather taking a bath.

So he knew he shouldn't do it, but he wanted to make sure his dad was okay. He hadn't eaten anything for a long while, so he would have little to no energy. What if he slipped and fell?

Teddy fidgeted some more until he couldn't take it anymore and knocked softly.

"Draco, are you back already?" Dad's voice sounded incredulous.

He opened the door a crack and peeked through it. Dad raised an eyebrow when he noticed him standing in the shadows.

"Teddy? What are you doing here?" Dad asked, sitting upright against the tub, but still covered in foam.

Teddy stared at the floor. "Can I come in?" he asked softly.

Dad cocked his head to his right and nodded slowly. "Sure, you can come in."

A hesitant smile found its way on to the young boy's face and he slipped through the small opening of the door, immediately closing it behind him and shuffling to the wall next to the tub.

Dad looked at him curiously. "Teddy, is something the matter?"

Teddy didn't answer; instead he grabbed his dad's wet hand that was resting on the edge of the tub and studied it. He turned it a few times, seemingly looking for something before he was satisfied and just kept the hand between his small ones.

"Teddy?"

He looked up; dad had a concerned look on his face and he was frowning.

He shrugged. "Do you mind if I stay here with you?"

Dad blinked, but nodded. So they sat there in silence until the water got too cold and his dad ushered him out so that he could dress himself while Teddy waited for him in the hallway.

* * *

Draco blinked when he entered the living room and was met with the sight of a glaring Severus.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Why didn't you tell me that you found Potter again?" Severus asked in a growling voice.

"Because I only got him back a few hours ago," Draco answered slowly.

Severus snorted. "How is he?" he muttered, not looking at anyone in the room.

Draco smirked. "I knew you cared for him," he said, sounding satisfied. Severus glared harder. "He's fine. A bit dehydrated and weak from not having anything to eat the past couple of days, but according to the Healer he should be fine with some rest and a good meal."

Daphne looked down at her son when Scorpius tugged at her sleeve. "Can I get my pictures to show them to daddy?" he asked with big eyes.

Daphne smiled. "Of course, go on."

Scorpius scrambled off her lap and hurried out of the room.

"Potter is fine? He had been kidnapped – maybe I'm wrong, but generally that means something happened to him," Severus remarked, taking a seat.

Draco breathed out slowly, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "He got a potion injected," he replied, grey eyes darkening in fury at the thought.

Severus frowned. "What potion?"

"We have to wait for the results to come back, but luckily for us it wasn't poison."

"Did he recognize his kidnapper?"

Draco shook his head. "He never saw him; he's only sure of the fact that his kidnapper is also the one who poisoned those people."

Severus raised an eyebrow and leaned back, crossing his legs. "This is getting strange."

"Tell me about it," Draco snorted. He turned around when the door opened and revealed Harry dressed in dark blue jeans and a black sweater, holding hands with Teddy.

Harry halted when he noticed Severus looking at him. "Um. Hello, sir."

"You've been kidnapped for days, you just got back and all you have to say for yourself is 'hello sir'?" Severus snapped.

"What else do you expect me to say?" Harry snapped back. Teddy looked up startled.

"Maybe something like 'I apologize for making you all worry and I will always keep my wand within hands reach'?" Severus offered sarcastically.

Harry took a deep breath, reminding himself that he wasn't in a good position now to start a fight and relaxed his shoulders. "I'm sorry for making you all worry and I will keep my wand attached to my hand. There, is that good enough?" he asked impatiently.

If possible, Severus' glare darkened more, but for a few seconds a look of satisfaction crossed his face before it disappeared again.

Daphne and Draco looked between the two of them, not sure what to say when a tense silence filled the room. Luckily for all of them, Scorpius came barrelling back into the room, his hands full of his drawings.

The little boy grabbed Harry's hand and tugged at it, ignoring Teddy's dark glare and led his daddy to the couch.

"Come, daddy, I made pictures for you!" Scorpius beamed, settling himself against Harry's side with Teddy sitting on Harry's other side.

"Did you now?" Harry smiled and relaxed against the back of the couch.

Draco chuckled softly and joined the three on the couch while Daphne snickered and Severus rolled his eyes.

* * *

When dinner arrived, Draco was almost stuffing the food down Harry's throat. Harry ate as much as he could in order to avoid more coddling from the boys and Draco. Really, who knew that Draco Malfoy would be a coddling man?

Severus had left as soon as dinner had ended, though he had mentioned to Harry quietly that he expected the delivery of the potions in two weeks. Harry knew this meant that he had to have the money ready by then.

Scorpius and Teddy had pouted when Severus had told them that lessons would start again in two days. However, one glare from the Potions master was enough to shut them up and had them nodding meekly.

Daphne too announced she was leaving. It was time to go back to her husband.

She surprised Harry when instead of shaking his offered hand, she grabbed him in a tight hug. It would have been nice, except for her hissed "If you dare to harm yourself again, I will make you pay!"

Harry didn't know whether he should feel embarrassed that she cared for him a bit or be frightened at her threat.

As soon as Daphne ended the hug, Draco had sent Harry upstairs to rest. Harry had been about to protest, but one look at Draco's determined face had him sigh instead and had him going upstairs to change into his pyjamas with Teddy and Scorpius following him.

Draco waited until he heard the click of the door locking before he turned back to face Daphne.

"It was nice having you here, Daphne; thank you for all your help," he smiled and hugged her.

She hugged him back. "Don't thank me; I didn't do much. Just make sure that you don't allow him out of your sight again. Who knows when the kidnapper will be back?" she sighed, a bit worried.

Draco nodded grimly and waved her out. She waved back once and when she passed the wards, she Apparated away.

Draco sighed and closed the door. Keeping Harry out of danger would be very difficult, considering that man was a fucking trouble magnet.

He shook his head and made his way upstairs. When he entered the bedroom he shared with Harry, he stood still and leaned against the doorpost, smiling gently at the sight that met him.

Harry was lying in the middle of the bed, fast asleep. His breathing was slow and deep and his eyes flickered behind his eyelids. On either side of him were Teddy and Scorpius, sleeping. Both had their arms clenched around Harry as if they wanted to prevent him from walking away. Their faces were hidden against Harry's shoulder; Teddy was lying on his side, with his back against the wall and Scorpius was curled up against Harry, one of his hands pressed against his mouth.

Seeing as he wouldn't fit in the bed with them, Draco carefully enlarged the bed, without waking up the occupants.

Once that was done, he took his clothes off and threw on a pair of sweatpants before sliding on to the bed too, lying next to Scorpius. Slowly he stretched his arm out, enclosing both the boys and Harry in his hug.

Teddy stirred for a moment when Draco's hand settled against his shoulder, but didn't wake up.

With a satisfied sigh, Draco closed his eyes and joined his little family in the dream world.

* * *

The next few days were spent making Harry healthy again. He wasn't allowed to do anything that would tire him out and if his family decided he hadn't eaten enough, they would practically try to shove it down his throat. Harry hadn't been happy about that – Draco had the burn marks to prove it.

Teddy and Scorpius were still afraid that their daddy would disappear again and had taken to following him everywhere, going so far as to wait at the bathroom door when he was in it. More often than not, they were attached to his hands.

The one time that Harry had tried to make it clear that they could leave him alone for a bit, it had almost ended in tears. It broke Harry's heart so much to see his boys so scared of him disappearing that he decided he wouldn't push them away after that one time.

Draco was nothing short of perfect. He had dropped all his work to tend to Harry and made it clear that there was no way in hell Harry would get him so far as to leave him outside alone.

Normally Harry would have protested against that notion and the fact that he was being fussed over, but the truth was that it felt kind of nice to be cared for to that extent.

During his time with the Dursleys he had never once felt they cared about him. If he got sick or got in trouble, it was his own problem to deal with. In Hogwarts, Hermione and Ron had cared about him, but as soon as they knew he was out of danger, they wouldn't fuss over him longer. And after his fallout with the Weasley family and his moving to a cottage with Teddy with no one else around, nobody had been there to fuss over him. He hadn't needed it. If he was hurt, he would deal with it on his own, never once letting his godson know he was in pain.

With Draco however, he didn't have that choice any longer. When Harry had tried to convince him that he didn't want to be a bother, Draco had glared and had shut him up with a kiss, saying that if he ever thought of himself as a bother again, he would have words with Draco. And though it was voiced as a threat, Harry had never felt so cared for before.

* * *

_9th of January_

Draco loved those two boys, he really did, but for the moment he had reached his breaking point. Teddy and Scorpius had been sleeping with them for the past couple of nights, but tonight Draco wanted to have time alone with Harry and that was impossible if there were two boys sleeping between them. It would get a bit awkward after all.

So when Harry was taking a bath, Draco saw his chance to tell the boys they would have to sleep alone again.

He found them sitting on the floor a bit further away from the bathroom door. They looked up from their books when Draco kneeled in front of them.

"Sweeties, where are you going to sleep tonight?" he asked curiously.

Scorpius blinked. "With you and daddy!" He beamed.

Teddy nodded, looking at Draco warily.

"Don't you think you two can go to sleep in your own beds again?" Draco suggested carefully.

Teddy stiffened and Scorpius' lower lip began to tremble and he started to fidget.

"The thing is, I have something that will make daddy relax and we all know he needs to relax, doesn't he?" Draco hurried to say.

Both boys nodded slowly.

"But why can't we be there too when you make daddy relax?" Scorpius asked innocently.

Draco almost choked at hearing that question. There was no way he was going to tell his six year old son exactly what he had meant when he said he could make his daddy relax.

"No, you can't, because it's something only grownups can do with each other and it wouldn't be polite if children stayed," Draco tried to explain without revealing the whole truth.

Teddy scrunched up his face and looked mildly disturbed and Draco wondered if Teddy knew what he was talking about. Merlin, he hoped not.

Scorpius cocked his head to the left. "But you will make daddy relaxed and happy?"

"Yes, your daddy will be very relaxed," Draco promised with a straight face.

The boys still looked uncertainly, but they nodded slowly, albeit reluctantly.

Draco smiled and ruffled both their hair, messing it up thoroughly.

* * *

That evening, Harry insisted on bringing Teddy and Scorpius to their bed which Draco agreed to, only because it would give him time to execute his plan.

He hurried to their shared room and immediately started placing candles on the nightstands, the desk and the windowsill.

"Incendio," he muttered and the candles lit up, casting a soft glow in the dark room. A few minutes later the room started to smell like vanilla and jasmine when Draco lit the incense. He took a step back to admire the romantic setting and nodded, satisfied. He had never tried to create a romantic mood, but Harry was special so he had tried. He hoped Harry would like it.

"Draco, what's the meaning of this?" Harry's confused voice sounded from behind him.

Draco almost jumped in fright; he hadn't heard the door opening. He turned around and smiled nervously.

"I want you to relax tonight," he said and pulled Harry softly further in to the room, closing the door behind them and a discreetly mumbled 'Silencio' made the room soundproof.

Harry looked around, taking in the burning candles and the soft, enticing smell of vanilla and jasmine. He breathed in deeply and felt himself relax a bit and he smiled.

"You did this for me?" he asked surprised and a light blush appeared on his cheekbones.

Draco smiled back and hugged him from behind; pressing his chest against Harry's back, kissing him lightly on his neck. "Of course, you deserve it," he murmured in Harry's ear.

Harry smiled widely and turned around in Draco's embrace, clasping his arms around Draco's neck. "I never knew you could be so sweet," he teased him. Two days of just resting and eating good meals had brought him back to health and the bags underneath his eyes had disappeared.

"I have my moments, but I would appreciate it if you kept quiet about that in public. I still have my reputation to think about," Draco joked, his grey eyes shining.

Harry chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He looked mischievously into grey eyes. "Now is there something you had in mind?" he whispered with a teasing glint in his emerald green eyes.

Draco smirked. "Actually there is something I have in mind now," he murmured, tightening his grip around Harry's waist.

"And what do you have in mind?" Harry asked, cocking his head to his right.

"You, me, a bed, less clothes …" Draco trailed off, a suggestive smirk tugging at his lips.

"Hmm, you know, that sounds very interesting," Harry smirked, walking backwards until his knees hit the bed and he fell on it, pulling Draco along with him.

Draco landed between Harry's legs, their hips touching and he leaned on his hands, placed on either side of Harry's head.

He gave him a sweet, short kiss on his red lips.

"You really want this?" he asked against Harry's mouth, their lips barely touching.

One hand found a place around his neck and the other one slid into his hair. "Of course I want this," Harry smiled back and kissed his nose. "So you better make it good." He winked.

Draco laughed. "Oh, I'm planning to," he grinned and his lips found Harry's again. The kiss started out sweet and light, but soon progressed to something more passionate; lips pressed harder against the other one's soft lips and started to nip and bite softly. Harry's tongue pressed against Draco's; begging for entrance and Draco granted him that, meeting his tongue halfway. They played with each other's tongue, stroking and teasing until both had to break apart to catch their breath.

Draco tugged at Harry's sweater and Harry raised his arms, allowing the blond man to take off his sweater. While Harry was busy fiddling with the buttons on Draco's black shirt, Draco had already started unbuttoning Harry's jeans, tugging them down when he got them open. Harry raised his lower body up in the air to make it easy for Draco to take his pants off and he grinned in triumph when he managed to remove Draco's shirt before attacking his pants.

Three minutes later, both of them were completely naked and lying underneath the blankets.

Harry embraced Draco and pulled him closer, making him lie on his body; he searched for his mouth and started kissing him again while his hands made their way up Draco's arms to his back, caressing his body all the way.

Draco breathed through his nose and shifted, both moaning when their cocks brushed against each other.

Draco trailed kisses from Harry's mouth to his neck, settling on a spot near his collarbone and started sucking and biting softly, soothing the upcoming bruise with his tongue.

Harry's breath hitched and he removed his hands from Draco's back, bringing them to his chest, feeling and caressing the abs he found, tweaking the rose coloured nipples.

Draco groaned and his head fell on Harry's shoulder.

The dark haired man smiled and put his hands against the pale shoulders, pushing softly against them, trying to flip them over.

When Draco felt the push, he grabbed Harry's wrists and stopped him. Harry looked at him surprised.

"What?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Not now," Draco murmured, turning his head to place a soft kiss on Harry's wrist. "Tonight is all about you."

Harry blinked, but smiled shyly. Draco pushed him back and laid a trail of kisses from Harry's neck to his collarbone, stopping at his nipples to suck at one while softly pinching the other.

Harry groaned softly and one of his hands found its way in to the blond hair, messing it up further.

When Draco was satisfied with the hardness of Harry's nipples, he slid lower, nipping and sucking at random places, stopping right above Harry's groin. Harry's insistent hard prick was pressing against his collarbone while Harry was panting and squirming on the bed.

Draco grinned and teasingly licked the shaft, making Harry pant harder. Tanned hands were gripping the sheets tightly and his hips started to buck.

"Fuck, Draco," Harry moaned, but he growled when Draco stopping licking. He propped himself up on his elbows, glaring at the man between his legs, his face red and panting, "Who said you could stop?"

Draco chuckled and slid up again, effectively shutting Harry up by kissing him hard, almost immediately pushing his tongue in.

Harry whimpered, but embraced Draco and pulled him even tighter against him, pressing their chests, slick with sweat, against each other, sighing at the contact.

Kissing Harry and simultaneously searching for the bottle of lube in the drawer of the nightstand proved to be very difficult, but Draco was very determined and managed to locate the bottle after two minutes of frustrating grabbing. He made a sound of triumph and pulled back.

Harry whined a bit when Draco broke the contact, but his eyes started to sparkle when he caught sight of the bottle.

"You ready?" Draco asked, breathlessly.

Harry nodded. "Get on with it," he almost growled, getting impatient.

Draco smirked and popped the cap of the bottle open, squeezing a generous amount of the clear fluid on to his fingers. He rubbed it between his fingers, warming it up, before settling himself back between Harry's legs, pushing his legs open. He made his way up from Harry's neck to his cheek, ending up pressed against his lips. Distracting Harry with sucking on his lower lip, he pressed a lubed finger against Harry's entrance, pushing softly. Harry squirmed a bit when he felt the wet finger pressing in him and eagerly pushed down. His hands sneaked into Draco's blond, messed up hair and tightened when the finger slipped in fully, stretching him a little.

"Hmm," Harry sighed and began pressing kisses on Draco's face; lips, cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, eyes, neck …

Draco pumped his finger a couple of times before adding a second one, halting for a moment when Harry hissed. As soon as Harry nodded, he pushed his fingers further, scissoring them to stretch his lover. His other hand sneaked down to stroke Harry's hard cock, making the man underneath him moan loudly.

A third finger joined the other two and pressed further into Harry, searching for the one spot that would make Harry see sparks. He found it after a bit searching and when he pushed against it, Harry shot up and yelled, gripping Draco's shoulders hard, digging his nails into the skin.

"Ah! Draco!" Harry panted and the lust in his green eyes intensified, making Draco breathless.

Draco smirked and pumped his fingers faster, stretching the tight walls more.

"Hmn, enough!" Harry moaned and bucked his hips.

Draco hastily retreated his fingers, slathering his cock with more lube and pushed Harry's legs up and back, exposing him.

Harry reddened when he felt the appreciating stare Draco directed at his body and he huffed, pulling Draco down on him.

"Stop looking at me like that," he muttered before latching onto the pale skin of Draco's neck and started kissing it, biting it occasionally.

Draco moaned when he felt the bite and gripped Harry's hips. "But I like looking at you," he whispered before pushing slowly into Harry, stretching him further.

"Ah," Harry panted, closing his eyes when he felt Draco slowly enter him.

Once Draco was completely buried in Harry, he stopped moving, breathing quickly and looking down at his sweating lover, who was trembling and clenching and unclenching his muscles.

One minute later, green eyes opened to glare at the blond man. "Start moving," Harry ordered, bringing his legs around Draco's waist, effectively pushing him further in.

Draco complied, pulling back before sliding back slowly, letting Harry feel every inch of him. Lips found each other and started sucking, tongues joining in, playing with each other. Harry sneaked his arms around Draco's shoulders, bucking his hips, impaling himself harder on Draco's hard cock, moaning loudly when that action caused Draco to press against his prostate.

Their mouths released each other to take a gulp of much needed air before pressing against each other again, kissing passionately.

The heat of the candles combined with the rising heat of their bodies caused the two men to sweat excessively, making sliding into Harry easier for Draco. One of Draco's hands found one of Harry's and he gripped it tightly, bringing their joined hands next to Harry's neck while his other hand slid down between their bodies, gripping Harry's dripping cock and started moving up and down.

"Ah yes, Draco," Harry groaned and kissed Draco's neck hard, his other free hand tangling itself in the blond, soft, sweaty hair.

"Fuck, Harry, you feel so good," Draco breathed in Harry's ear, making the other man shiver.

Draco began to speed up, slamming harder and faster in to Harry's all too willing body, making the other man moan loudly each time he pushed against his prostate, sending sparks through Harry's body.

Harry threw his head back when a particular hard thrust against his prostate made him see white sparks and he screamed out.

So quickly that Harry didn't even have time to take a breath, Draco had pulled him up and pushed him down in his lap while he sat on his knees. The new position caused him to sink even deeper in Harry and both men moaned at that feeling.

Fire began to burn in their lower stomachs and they both knew they wouldn't last much longer. Harry dropped his head on Draco's shoulder, his voice hoarse from his screaming, but that didn't prevent him from moaning even louder when Draco thrust against his prostate again.

"God, Dra...Draco, I'm going, going to …" Harry whimpered. He grabbed Draco's head in both his hands and kissed him hard while his whole body shook and trembled when he came with a shout, coming all over their chests and stomachs.

Feeling the internal muscles clench tightly around him, Draco managed to thrust a few times more before he too came, groaning loudly and kissing Harry back passionately.

They fell back on the bed, Draco landing on top of Harry. He panted and slowly slid out of Harry, gathering him in his arms as soon as he lay down next to him. Harry shifted so that he was lying on his side, facing Draco. He embraced him with one arm and smiled sleepily.

Draco stroked the black, sweaty hair back and was filled with a warm feeling when he saw Harry smiling at him.

Without thinking, he murmured, "I love you."

Green eyes widened and stared at him incredulously.

Draco groaned when he realized what he had said and stared at the ceiling above him, cursing himself for his stupidity. What the fuck had he been thinking, just flapping that out without thinking twice? What would Harry think of him now? Would he freak out? Had he moved too quickly?

Fear began to crawl up in his chest, but he didn't want to take his words back. It may be soon, but he was sure of his feelings for Harry. And even if Harry rejected him, he wouldn't take his words back.

"What did you say?" Harry whispered, propping himself up, leaning on his right shoulder.

Draco took a deep breath and looked in Harry's eyes. "I said, I love you." Almost immediately he averted his eyes back to the ceiling, feeling his face heat up.

A soft hand on his cheek startled him and made him look back at Harry who, to his surprise, was smiling tenderly.

"I love you too," Harry murmured, giving him a soft kiss on his lips.

Draco breathed out relieved and smiled.

Both men fell asleep in each other's arms with a smile on their faces and butterflies in their stomachs.

* * *

It was two weeks later that Harry received a letter from Saint Mungos, asking him to pay a visit to Healer Rowland, because they had information about his results.

Harry, feeling nervous for some reason, had asked Draco if he wanted to come with him.

"Of course I'm going with you; are you an idiot?" Draco asked, shaking his head in exasperation.

Harry smiled weakly. "What are we going to do with the boys?"

"Severus can watch over them," Draco replied idly and went to his study to make a Floo call to his godfather.

"I feel sorry for Snape," Harry muttered, shaking his head.

Severus came through the Floo, glaring darkly at his godson and muttering all kinds of obscene things.

"You better not use that type of language in front of the boys," Draco scolded him and went upstairs to get Teddy and Scorpius.

Harry smiled nervously when Severus directed his attention to him. "Good morning sir; I'm sorry for disturbing your morning," he apologized, fiddling with the letter.

Severus sat down. "I heard you're going to get the results of your blood back today," he remarked idly.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I just got the letter."

"Hmm, well, it can't be anything dangerous, considering you're still alive," Severus replied dryly.

"That's comforting," Harry mumbled, but couldn't help but smile and relax a bit.

"The ingredients will be brought in two days," Severus suddenly said in a soft voice.

Harry nodded slowly. "I already transferred the amount of Galleons needed to your vault. You can pick it up whenever you want, sir," he replied.

Severus studied him. "You're still an idiotic child." He shook his head.

Harry kept quiet, not sure how to respond to that.

"Daddy, are you sick?" Scorpius asked and ran towards him, reaching out with his arms, silently asking Harry to pick him up.

Harry obeyed and settled him on his hip, kissing his forehead. "No, I'm not sick. The Healer just took some of my blood and now I'll know what's in my blood."

"Oh." Scorpius blinked.

Teddy came towards him too, hugging him. "Are you going away for long?" he asked, still not fully trusting his dad outside.

Harry shook his head. "I think we'll be gone for maybe an hour, but not much longer," he answered.

"Okay," Teddy whispered and released him.

Harry bent down to place Scorpius back on the ground and pulled on the coat that Draco had gotten for him.

"See you in an hour, sweeties," Harry smiled.

"Bye bye, daddy." Scorpius waved and then toddled over to his Uncle Sev.

The last thing Harry saw before the fire took him away to the hospital was Teddy's worried look.

After stumbling into the entrance hall of the hospital and smacking Draco's arm when he chuckled at his clumsiness, they made their way to Rowland's office, which was on the second floor.

Harry knocked and a few seconds later they heard Rowland saying, "Come in!"

They entered the office and Rowland looked up, smiling and getting up to shake their hands before directing them to the chairs in front of his desk.

"Ah! Good morning, Mister Potter and Mister Malfoy," he greeted them, settling back down in his own chair.

"Good morning," Harry smiled back.

Draco nodded back politely.

"First I must apologize for taking so long," Rowland began and he sighed. "One of the new Healers switched your file with that of another one accidentally and we had to do all the tests again."

"No problem," Harry smiled, a bit nervous.

Draco grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"So, what did those tests reveal?" Draco asked warily. "Is it something serious?"

Rowland leaned back in his chair, looking at the couple in front of him pensively. "That depends entirely on how you look at it, Mister Malfoy."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked confused.

"Well, it seems that you ingested a pregnancy potion, Mister Potter," Rowland answered, not one trace of smile in his face.

Draco tensed, staring at the Healer. _A pregnancy potion?_ That meant that Harry … could get pregnant? He blinked and found that the room suddenly felt a bit warmer. Harry was now capable of having children. They could have a child _together_.

Harry stared at the Healer confused. He didn't understand what that meant. _A pregnancy potion?_ What would be wrong with that? It wasn't as if he could get pregnant.

"Um, I'm afraid I don't understand," Harry said slowly.

"Well, from the results we got back, we concluded that you have ingested a pregnancy potion. It's something common, but because you told me you experienced excruciating pain when you ingested it, I can only conclude that you didn't get the sedative," Rowland replied. "Normally when we use such potions, we first give the patient a sedative, because otherwise the pain of having the organs pushed back and making place for the new organ, the womb in this case, would be too much for the patient to handle."

"Wait, but a pregnancy potion is used by women, isn't it?" Harry asked, his confusion growing. "Why would a woman need that kind of potion? She already has a womb."

Rowland leaned forwards, looking at Harry solemnly. "Mister Potter, are you not aware of the fact that wizards are also able to get pregnant, given the ingestion of the potion?"

Harry stared at him. He felt like he was underwater, the sounds of the hospital were muted, not reaching his ears. His vision began to blur. "What?" he whispered; his eyes wide. He started to feel cold. Wizards could get pregnant? They would have to use a potion for that? Why hadn't anyone ever told him that?

"You now have a fully operational womb, Mister Potter. This means you can get pregnant if you have unprotected sexual intercourse," Rowland explained, his eyes looking at him in sympathy.

"Pregnant?" Harry repeated faintly. He could get pregnant. He now had a womb that would enable him to carry a baby. This wasn't happening. This just couldn't be true.

Draco stared at Harry and his eyes were drawn to his stomach. He was speechless. They could conceive a child together.

_A baby of their own._

He still couldn't quite believe it, but hope was blossoming in his chest. They could have a baby. That was just … wonderful news.

However, one look at Harry's pale face made him realize that there was a possibility that Harry wouldn't accept that fact.

He tightened his grip on the tanned hand. They would have a lot to talk about.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: angst, maybe a bit OOC Also forgive me if the Latin in this chapter is wrong ^^; I didn't have the time to search for my grammar book
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 32**

_Still the 20th of January_

"Wait, I can get … pregnant?" Harry said weakly, not quite ready to believe the Healer. It just wasn't possible. Even in the Wizarding world it just couldn't be possible for men to get pregnant. That was too … weird. Abnormal. Freaky.

Rowland leaned back in his chair with a sigh. It was always a difficult moment to explain to a man he could get pregnant. Not to mention awkward. "Pregnancy potions for men were invented a hundred-fifty years ago when a homosexual couple desperately wanted to have children, but they were forbidden by law to adopt; they went to a Potions master who completed a potion for them that would give the man a womb to carry the baby. Now the womb will only stay in your body for the duration of the pregnancy. As soon as the child is born, the womb will be expelled too."

"How does the birth occur?" Draco asked interested. "Is a natural birth possible or is a caesarean section needed?"

"Except in bad situations, a natural birth can happen without problems," Rowland replied. "As soon as the contractions start, the male body will start to make changes to accommodate the birth. The anal canal will work temporarily as a birth canal. Because of this change, births by men progress quicker than with women."

Draco nodded thoughtfully.

Rowland studied the two men in front of him. Malfoy was looking ecstatically and hopefully, while Potter on the other hand looked like he was about to faint. Clearly only one of them was happy with this news.

"I think you need to talk," Rowland said solemnly and stood up to give them privacy.

Suddenly Harry stood up, startling both his lover and the Healer. "We're fine, thanks. We'll go home now," he muttered, his eyes dark.

"Harry, don't you think we need …" Draco started.

Harry turned to him. "We're going home _now_ , Draco," he said through clenched teeth.

Draco frowned, but stood up. "Thank you." He nodded to Rowland.

Rowland nodded back with a pensive look on his face. He wondered how long it would be before they were back here with the question to test Potter on pregnancy.

* * *

"Harry, are you …" Draco looked uncertainly at his lover when they made their way to the fireplace.

"I'm fine," Harry answered clipped. He was working on auto-pilot now. Any moment now he would wake up from this dream – or should he say nightmare – and it would all be fine. He wouldn't be able to get pregnant and when he told Draco about his dream they would have a laugh about it. He discreetly pinched his arm. _Fuck, that hurt_. He was awake – which meant he was still able to carry children.

He bit his lip and stiffly stepped into the fireplace, Draco joining him. He was vaguely aware of the concerned look Draco threw at him before saying their destination. He mulled it over. He was given a potion that had given him a womb and thus enabled him to get pregnant. That was disturbing and sounded quite unbelievable. Harry had never seen a pregnant man – not on the street or in magazines. If the potion was that normal, then why hadn't he encountered a pregnant man before?

Absentmindedly he stepped out of the fireplace, only stumbling a bit now. Without looking at Snape, who was staring at him with a raised eyebrow, he made his way upstairs to his room. He fell on his bed and stared at the white ceiling. He placed his hand on his abdomen and abruptly pulled his hand away as if it was on fire. There was just no way he could have a womb now.

Harry exhaled through his nose heavily. He wasn't ready to have a baby. Fuck, he was only together for a few months with Draco; he couldn't possibly be pregnant already. That was too soon. A baby would screw up his relationship with Draco and he didn't want that.

Panic started to rise in his chest. What if Draco didn't want anything to do with him anymore now that he had heard the news Harry had a _womb_? It was unnatural for men to have wombs, even in the Wizarding world. He felt like a … freak now.

His eyes started to prick and he pushed his hands against them, trying to push his tears away and tried to calm himself down by breathing slowly. _Breathe in, breathe out_. It was probably a mistake. _Breathe in, breathe out_. The Healer had misread the results or had accidentally switched his file with that of someone else.

Harry nodded slowly. That was probably it. His file just got mixed up. There was nothing wrong with him. He hadn't swallowed a pregnancy potion; he didn't have a womb. He was normal. Well, as normal as he would ever be.

Slowly he sat up and crossed his legs, leaning against the wall. He grabbed one of the books about healing that was lying on his nightstand and started to read the chapter about mending broken bones. Even if his results weren't mixed up, that didn't mean something was wrong with him. He wasn't sure how long a womb would last if a pregnancy didn't happen, but surely, the womb would disappear if it wouldn't function? He just had to wait for the unwelcome organ to disappear and everything would be fine again. If he didn't think about it, it would seem as if it never had happened.

He conveniently ignored the little voice in his head that told him he was just running away of his problems.

* * *

Draco sighed and watched how Harry walked out of the room with concern. He hadn't expected this apathetic reaction after hearing the news they could get pregnant. He had expected something like anger, disbelief, maybe even joy – well, maybe he was a bit too optimistic expecting that last option.

"Where are Teddy and Scorpius?" Draco asked, taking off his coat and taking a seat on the couch.

"They are in their room. Draco, what happened?" Severus asked, his fingers tapping on the arm of the couch.

"Well, we got the results back of his blood test." Draco paused for a moment. "He was injected with a pregnancy potion."

Severus blinked. "A pregnancy potion; that means …" This was not something he had expected to hear.

"Yes, we're able to conceive children," Draco finished the sentence and leaned back.

"Draco, why on earth would you give Potter a pregnancy potion?" Severus asked in a controlled voice and pinched his nose. Had his godson gone insane?

"I didn't give him that potion!" Draco protested.

"Are you saying that the kidnapper did that?" Severus asked sceptically. He didn't understand why the kidnapper would inject Potter with a pregnancy potion, when he could have easily killed him. What did the kidnapper intend to do?

"I'm not lying to you, Sev. I didn't give Harry a pregnancy potion," Draco repeated. He felt uneasy when he thought of the fact that Harry had gotten that potion in him because of the kidnapper and he wondered what purpose the kidnapper had intended.

"Good, because it's too soon for you two to have children," Severus said curtly. "How did Potter react?"

Draco sighed. "I don't know actually; he just sat there when the Healer told us the news."

Severus leaned towards him. "And how are you feeling about this?" he asked softly. To be honest he didn't like the way Draco's eyes had lit up when he mentioned the pregnancy potion. Surely his godson would understand it was too soon for them to have a baby together? They had only been dating for a few months now – a pregnancy that early would only cause disaster.

Draco looked away from the intense eyes of his godfather. "It's not like we can do something about it, right? I mean, the potion has already worked and made a womb."

"Draco," Severus said in a warning tone.

"All right! I wouldn't mind it if, you know, Harry got pregnant," Draco muttered, his face heating up.

"Draco, are you out of your mind?" Severus snapped. "You can't possibly hope for a pregnancy already!"

"And why not?" Draco snapped back.

"It's too soon! You two only started dating recently; you don't have the strong bond it needs to welcome a pregnancy," Severus said in a biting tone. He loved his godson, yes, but he was behaving like a fool now. If he didn't watch out, he would make a choice that he would regret later on.

"What do you know?" Draco growled offended. "Harry and I share a strong bond; a pregnancy would only strengthen it."

"Draco, you're not thinking rationally," Severus sighed, his dark eyes boring in grey ones. "Aside from the fact that you're only dating for a few months now, have you ever thought about the fact that it would be a terrible idea for Potter to be pregnant now? With that killer on the loose?"

Draco opened his mouth to argue, but had to close it reluctantly when he realized that Severus was right. Harry having a baby now would be dangerous with that killer still free. A pregnancy drained the man's body more than a woman's, because the body needed the energy to sustain the womb to carry out the pregnancy. Harry would be weaker than any other pregnant woman. He wouldn't be able to defend himself if the killer found him again.

"I'm glad you finally got your common sense back," Severus muttered when it was clear that Draco was agreeing with him.

"Okay, fine, maybe it is a bad idea for Harry to get pregnant now, but what can we do about it? The potion started working; he already has a womb. There is no way we can remove that," Draco sighed.

Severus rubbed his eyes, muttering something about idiotic imbecile brats, who never used their brain. "Then use protection for Merlin's sake. It's not that difficult," he growled.

Draco opened his mouth to argue, when he suddenly paled. A realization dawned on him; it was too late for protection now. The kidnapper had injected the potion two weeks ago; they had had sex a couple of days later. Could it be that …

"Draco?" Severus frowned when he saw how pale Draco had gotten.

Draco licked his lips. "I, eh, I don't think we will need protection," he whispered.

"What, are you going to stay out of his pants for an unknown amount of time?" Severus snorted. "That would be the first."

"No, you don't understand!" Draco hissed. "We had sex a few days after I found him. The potion was already working by then."

Severus stiffened. "Are you telling me that there is a chance that Potter is pregnant right now?" he asked faintly. He was sure he had misunderstood his godson. The thought that Potter was pregnant …

Draco nodded meekly. "Well, yes, there is a big chance."

Then something happened that Draco thought would never occur in his life - Severus fainted.

Draco blinked. "Severus? Are you all right?" he asked uncertainly and softly shook Severus' shoulder. No response. "Aren't _I_ supposed to faint at hearing the news that Harry could be pregnant?" he mused. He looked at the stairs worriedly. _I need to talk to Harry_ , he decided.

Slowly he walked up the stairs and wondered why he felt nervous all of the sudden. This shouldn't be awkward; he knew Harry since he was eleven and now he was together with him. He should be able to talk about this with him.

He knocked on the closed door and waited for the muffled 'Come in' before entering. He found Harry sitting on the bed against the wall, reading a thick book. Harry looked up surprised, his eyes focusing on Draco.

"Draco, is there something wrong?" he asked curiously and marked the page he was reading before closing the book.

Draco made his way to the bed and sat down on it, sliding backwards until his back hit the wall.

"We need to talk," Draco sighed, grabbing Harry's hand.

Harry frowned. "Eh, all right, what about?"

Draco stared at him. "Seriously, Harry, you need to ask me what we have to talk about?" he asked incredulously.

Green eyes blinked. "Yes, I ask you that," Harry replied slowly.

"Does a certain new body addition in you ring a bell?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

Immediately, green eyes darkened and seemed to shut off. "What about it?"

Frowning, Draco replied, "Harry, the thing is … don't you think we need to do a pregnancy test?" he asked hesitatingly.

"Why would we need to do that?" Harry asked sharply and sat up right, removing his hand from Draco's grip in the progress.

"Because we had sex after you swallowed the potion, which means there is a big chance you're pregnant right now," Draco replied impatiently. "And if you are, we need to know that immediately so that we can make preparations."

"I don't need to take that damn test, because I'm not pregnant," Harry said, rolling his eyes, huffing. He really wasn't in the mood for this talk now. Draco was worrying about nothing; he wasn't pregnant. He couldn't be. Yes, they had had sex a few times after the kidnapping, but it couldn't be possible to get pregnant that quickly. There were couples who took months, sometimes even years, to get pregnant. There was no way Harry was pregnant after a few times of sex.

"How would you know whether you're pregnant or not? Did you take the test already?" Draco asked. It was possible that Harry had taken a test; he was studying to be a Mediwizard after all. They were obligated to know how to perform pregnancy test spells.

Harry shook his head annoyed. "No, I didn't take a test. I just know it, all right? Just drop it, I'm not pregnant."

Irritation flared up in Draco's chest. Why was Harry being so damn difficult about one stupid test? "You don't know for certain. I say that you need to take the test, just to be sure," he answered through gritted teeth.

"And I already told you that I'm not pregnant. It's useless to take a test," Harry bit out.

"How can taking that test be useless? Pregnancy potions are very potent, Harry, we don't need to have sex multiple times to get you pregnant. Two to three times is in most cases enough," Draco explained, trying to reason with Harry.

"Why can't you just fucking drop it?" Harry snapped, his green eyes burning and he shot up from the bed. "Get this through your thick head; I'm not pregnant."

Draco stood up too, glaring at Harry. "Harry, please, just take the fucking test already," he repeated and reached out to touch Harry's arm, but Harry stepped out of his reach.

"No," Harry hissed.

"You're acting like a child!" Draco hissed back.

Green eyes flared up and Harry wanted to snap back, but was stopped by a soft knock on the door.

"Dad? Are you okay?" Teddy's voice sounded worried.

Harry breathed out shakily, ranking a hand through his wild hair and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm fine, sweetie, you can come in."

Draco huffed and shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe Harry was being so damned stubborn about this. He had thought Harry would have understood the severity of the situation. Pregnancy wasn't something to be taken lightly – especially not in Harry's situation. Now the idiot refused to take the test. He didn't know how to convince him; short from Stupefying him and dragging him to Saint Mungos – which would probably cost him Harry's trust if he tried to do that and he didn't want to risk that – he had no other ideas.

"Are you sick?" Teddy asked after closing the door.

Harry shook his head. "No, everything's fine. Don't worry," he smiled and chuckled when the young boy went over to hug him.

"Well, I'm going to see if Severus is all right again," Draco muttered and stormed out of the room.

Teddy looked up confused, his arms still around Harry's waist. "Did you have a fight with Draco?"

Harry cocked his head to his right. "No, he's just pouting, because he can't get something. He'll be all right soon," he replied flatly.

* * *

Severus blinked when his godson came storming in the room, looking furious.

"What happened?" he asked, frowning.

"Harry is being a stubborn arse!" Draco snapped. "He doesn't want to take that bloody pregnancy test, claiming he isn't pregnant. How the fuck can he know that?"

Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He really wasn't suited to give advice about a lover's quarrel. "Just give him some time. Eventually he'll realize how utter idiotic he's acting and then he'll take that test," he muttered, his mind still reeling in shock from hearing the news that Potter could be pregnant.

Draco just shook his head, keeping quiet.

* * *

The atmosphere in Malfoy Manor was icy the following days. Harry kept his distance from Draco, not wanting to be bothered again about the test. Draco for his part was hurt by Harry's refusal and was angry at the same time. Being as stubborn as his lover, he refused to go talk to Harry first; it felt like admitting defeat and he was nowhere near letting that subject go.

They did their best to act normally in front of the boys, not wanting to worry them, but as soon as they were out of sight, Harry escaped to a room somewhere in the manor, hauling himself up with his books about Healing. There was one good thing about his fight with Draco and that was that his studying was progressing quickly.

* * *

Meanwhile Ginny had decided to make a move again. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't counted in the natural curiosity of a nine year old boy who carried a grudge to her.

* * *

Teddy had woken up first of everyone and had gone to the Owelry, visiting the beautiful creatures that were sleeping or eating. He always had loved owls and found them fascinating.

As soon as he had closed the door and he had turned around, he saw an unknown owl sitting on the windowsill, carrying a letter.

Curiosity got the best of Teddy and he made his way over to the owl, freeing it of his burden and given it a treat. The owl hooted softly and nibbled at the treat, not flying away, obviously waiting for a reply.

His dad had taught him not to read letters that weren't addressed to him, because it was very rude, but as soon as he noticed the familiar handwriting, he scowled and nearly ripped the letter apart, only stopping because he wanted to know what Ginny wanted from his dad now. He had rather liked the weeks without her presence after all.

He opened the letter and started to read it.

" _Dear Harry_

_It's been such a long time that we have seen each other and I was wondering if you were up for another meeting. Maybe we could go to the Quidditch field where my team trains and have a little match. It would be fun flying with you again._

_Please send me a letter back with your answer. You can choose the time and date. The owl will wait for your reply._

_I'm looking forward to see you again._

_Love_

_Ginny"_

Blue eyes narrowed and the scowl got harder. Why couldn't she understand that she wasn't welcome in their lives anymore? Was she that stupid? Or that oblivious?

Teddy shook his head; well, he would just have to let her know that she wasn't needed.

He hurried back to his room and started to write a reply. Twenty minutes later, he grabbed the practice wand Severus had given him and tapped it thrice on the paper, whispering, "Transferre chirographum Harry Potter" He held his breath and secretly crossed his fingers, wishing for the spell to work. After one minute, his handwriting started slowly changing into that of his dad.

He sighed relieved; he had only used that spell once in one of his lessons with Snape. The man had wanted to see how much he could already handle and had given him that spell to practice. The purpose of the spell was to change your own handwriting into that of someone else, making it perfect for illegal practices. When he had managed the spell after fifteen tries, Snape had made him promise not to use it again because, while it was not exactly forbidden, it wasn't a spell that was encouraged to know either.

Teddy hated breaking his promises, but he believed that in this case he could be forgiven for it. He was helping his family with this, not using it for illegal purposes.

One glance at the clock showed that if he wanted this to remain a secret, he had to run to the Owelry now before his dad or Draco saw him.

Half an hour later, Teddy was sitting innocently at the dining table, enjoying his sandwich with chocolate, secretly smirking when he imagined Ginny's reaction when she read the letter.

* * *

_27th of January_

It was a week after the fight between Harry and Draco and Severus, who normally didn't care about other one's feelings and problems, decided that it was time to interfere before things could take a turn for a worse. He hated seeing his godson upset and he had promised Narcissa to keep an eye on her boy. Thus, how much he loathed speaking with the devil's spawn of James Potter, he would go talk to the man, making him see sense. At least that was what he would be trying. He would be arguing against a stubborn Potter after all – though Severus reluctantly admitted that the stubbornness probably came from Lily's side.

He knew already how he would start - he had finally received the last ingredients and was now preparing each one of them. Three cauldrons were kept warm and under a protection spell with each rare ingredient added to it. He would have to let the potion rest for another two days and then he could test it on the poison. After that it would only be a matter of making more of the right antidote and then finding a way to give the antidote to the victims without exposing himself. Potter would be very interested to hear that.

He waited until Teddy and Scorpius had made their way out of the room before going on a search for Potter. Nowadays it was a real hassle to find the man, because he deemed it necessary to lock himself up in some room on a floor that no one frequently visited.

After searching through the familiar rooms, Severus got fed up with it and used a tracking spell to guide him to Potter. He found him sitting on a couch in a small, cosy room on the third floor in the south wing.

Potter looked very surprised to see him and closed his book upon seeing Severus entering the room and stared at him wary.

"What can I do for you, sir?" he asked, straightening his back.

Severus closed the door – though it was hardly necessary, considering there would be no one to disturb them – and crossed the room to lean against the windowsill, crossing his arms.

"I received the ingredients and have already added them to the potion. In a few days I should be able to test the antidote on the poison and make more of the right antidote," he replied flatly.

Potter blinked. "That's good to hear, thank you."

"No need to thank me yet, brat," Severus sneered. "I was recently changing my opinion of yours, but unfortunately it seemed that I was right from the start."

"What do you mean?" Potter asked, narrowing his eyes, his posture tense and his hands clenching the book.

"It seems like you are still a stupid, idiotic child who can't make decent decisions," Severus sneered.

"Excuse me?" Potter growled, his emerald green eyes flashing dangerously.

"Why on earth haven't you taken that pregnancy test yet?"

Potter blanched and paled. "You know about that? Draco told you?" he asked furiously.

"Yes, he told me. Answer my question."

"If you are here on his behalf, you can go back now, sir," Potter told him coldly and rose up and walked to the door.

A soft click made it clear that Potter wouldn't be leaving soon.

"Stop evading my question! Why haven't you tested yourself yet?" Severus repeated, his voice smooth but cold.

Potter whirled back around to face him, anger and frustration visible on his face. "Because there is nothing to test! I'm not fucking pregnant, all right!"

"Potter, I have been a Potions master for many, many years and I dare say I'm the best in Great Britain. I can assure you that pregnancy potions for men are extremely effective. It doesn't take a long time to get pregnant once your body has created the womb," Severus informed him impatiently.

Potter turned his head away, biting his lip, for once not having a retort.

This made Severus frown. Potter wouldn't normal stand for it to be patronized. Why was it different now?

"Potter, why are you so afraid of taking the test? Wouldn't it be more reassuring to know if you're carrying a child or not?" he asked softly.

"It's just …" Potter shook his head. "It doesn't matter, okay? I'm not taking the test, I'm not pregnant. I don't need a test to tell me that."

To Severus it sounded more like Potter was trying to convince himself that he wasn't carrying a child. The question was, why would he do that? Why would he be afraid of that knowledge?

"Do you want to lose Draco?" Severus suddenly asked, startling Potter with that strange question.

"What? No! Of course not!" Potter protested.

"Do you love him?"

Severus watched intently how a heavy blush reddened Potter's cheeks, making him look away in embarrassment.

"Yeah," he muttered almost inaudibly.

"If you really love him and don't want to lose him, you can at least have the guts to take that damned test. I thought Gryffindors were brave? Act like a true Gryffindor then," Severus snapped and made his way over to Potter, coming to a halt when he stood in front of him. "It doesn't take much to make Draco happy; at this moment, you can already make him happy by taking the test. Don't screw this up, Potter."

With that said, Severus left the room before he would give in to the urge to hex the brat. He really could use a whiskey right now.

Harry was left standing there in the room, his head bowed and a feeling of dread settling in his stomach.

"If I really love him, huh?" Harry muttered and stared out of the window to the slow sunset that was casting rays of golden and red beams over the huge garden behind the manor.

* * *

Draco looked up from the documents he was reading when he heard the door of his study opening slowly.

Surprised he stared at Harry who was standing there with his head bowed and rubbing his left arm.

"Eh, do you have a minute?" Harry asked awkwardly.

Draco nodded slowly, not entirely sure how to react after a week of glares and cold silence.

"Well, eh, I decided to …" Harry took a deep breath. "To take the test."

Draco blinked, not daring to believe his ears. "You're going to take a pregnancy test?" he asked uncertainly, trying not to hope too much in case he had misunderstood his lover.

Harry nodded jerkily. "Yeah, it would be better to know it for sure so that we don't get … any surprises."

Hesitatingly Draco stood up, making his way carefully over to Harry. Once he was in front of him, he slowly put his arms around Harry, feeling him tense for just a few seconds before relaxing in his hold, embracing his waist.

"I'm happy, thank you," Draco whispered and gave him a soft kiss. "What do you say of going to Saint Mungos tomorrow to take the test?" he suggested.

Harry sighed, but nodded. "All right."

As an unspoken agreement they made their way to their bedroom, slipped into their bed and snuggled into each other's arms, both knowing very well that tomorrow everything could change drastically.

But for now, they would just enjoy the peace and calmness.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: nothing special, just the result of the test
> 
> Also, again I apologize if the Latin isn't correct
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 33**

_28th of January_

Harry woke up with the feeling of having his hair caressed. He blinked, but everything stayed blurry, so he reached out with his hand and felt around on his nightstand. He found his glasses in the middle and put them on, finally able to see Draco watching him intensely.

He blinked. "Eh, is there something on my face?" he asked uncertainly.

Draco blinked and shook his head. "No, nothing on your face. I was just watching you sleep," he replied absentmindedly.

Harry stared. "Eh, okay?" he mumbled confused and slightly embarrassed.

"Say, when would you like to take that test?" Draco murmured, taking up his caressing again, this time on Harry's hand.

Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm guessing as soon as possible. Who's going to make the appointment?"

Draco shrugged. "I can do that; I wouldn't mind," he replied softly.

"All right." Harry nodded and took a deep breath. "Where are Teddy and Scorpius going to stay when we go to Saint Mungos?"

Draco frowned. "Aren't we going to take them with us? I mean, I feel guilty for always letting them stay at home."

Harry pursed his lips. "I'd rather not. I mean, if I'm pregnant," he swallowed with difficulty, "then I want to wait a few months before telling them. It can always go wrong and I don't want to confuse them with saying I'm pregnant and then if something goes wrong, telling them there isn't going to be a baby."

"The chances are very slim that something goes wrong if we just take precautions," Draco assured him.

"Still, I also have to prepare Teddy. I told him that men aren't able to get pregnant, so I need to inform him first of that fact, before springing the possible news on him," Harry muttered.

"How do you think he'll react?" Draco asked curiously.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know." He frowned. "He has never asked for a brother or sister, so I'm not sure how he feels about that subject. Still, let's not get ahead of ourselves, Draco, there's always a chance that I'm not pregnant."

"I doubt that," Draco mumbled lowly.

"When is Snape going to arrive here?" Harry quickly changed the subject.

Grey eyes rolled up to the ceiling, as if reading the time there. "I think around nine; I'm not sure."

Harry grabbed his wand and muttered, "Tempus." The spell revealed it to be seven to eight.

He sighed. "No need to fall asleep again. I'm going to take a shower," he said and swung his legs out of bed.

"I'll take one with you," Draco smirked.

Harry turned his head around and raised an eyebrow. "And why do you think you're allowed to join me?" he asked amused.

The blond man shrugged. "We already had sex; what's the harm in showering together?" He winked.

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but closed it again in defeat, realizing he had no real argument. "Fine, you can join me," he smiled faintly.

Draco grinned and followed his lover like a shadow. He had always wanted to try out shower sex.

* * *

A red haired woman was standing at the edge of a large Quidditch field, tapping her foot impatiently while looking around. Ginny huffed and pushed her hair out of her face. Harry was late. Very late. Where the hell was he?

She searched through her bag and opened the letter again, rereading it even though she knew the content by heart now.

" _Dear Ginny_

_Of course I would like to have a flying match with you. It would be real fun to fly with you again after all those years._

_What do you say of the 28th of January at the Quidditch field you mentioned? Let's say around nine a.m.?_

_I'm looking forward to see you again._

_Love_

_Harry"_

Ginny sighed frustrated and folded the letter and stuffed it back in her bag. It was already ten past ten. She would give him one more hour before she would go to – here she grimaced – Malfoy Manor to ask why he didn't show up.

She only hoped Harry would be the one to greet her there and not that slimy bastard.

* * *

As soon as Snape arrived in the manor, he ushered the two young boys in the study room, barking at them to get their books ready and to keep their mouth shut. Clearly Snape hated Mondays.

Harry had settled himself at his desk in the room he shared with Draco and was currently studying yet another book about Healing. He was jotting down some medical terms he had to remember when he heard the door open.

He turned around and saw Draco standing in the doorway, leaning against it with his arms crossed.

"I just had a Floo call with Rowland," Draco began calmly. "He said we can visit him in a week, because he has so many appointments."

Harry sighed and tapped with the tip of his quill against the wooden desk. One more week living in uncertainty; he supposed he had worse.

"Okay then," he murmured softly. "How late is the appointment?"

"Around three in the afternoon," Draco replied.

Harry nodded and wanted to turn back to his books when suddenly they heard the doorbell ring.

They stared at each other confused. "Are you expecting company?" Harry asked curiously.

Draco shook his head, frowning. "No, you?"

Harry shook his head, biting his lip.

A house elf popped into the room, looking quite annoyed. "Master Draco, a red witch standing at the door. Same one as before; don't want to leave," he told his master, wringing his hands together.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why would Ginny be here?" he wondered.

"Did you invite her?" Draco asked sharply.

Harry looked at him annoyed. "No, I would have told you that if I had done that."

"Let's see what she wants now," Draco muttered, sighing and made his way downstairs, Harry following directly behind him.

Ginny was standing in the doorway, looking irritated at another house elf blocking her way. She had crossed her arms and was tapping her foot. Her bag was lying on the ground.

"Ginny, what are you doing here?" Harry asked confused before Draco could open his mouth.

She sighed and scowled at him. "A better question would be - why are you not on the Quidditch field? You agreed to meet me there today at nine a.m.," she reminded him.

Draco narrowed his eyes and stared at Harry. Had Harry been lying to him when he said he didn't invite Ginny?

Harry frowned. "What are you talking about, Ginny? I haven't spoken to you in weeks. I never agreed to meet you at a Quidditch match."

"Yes, you did." Ginny exhaled impatiently and grabbed her bag.

"Please let her in," Harry told the house elf and after looking uncertainly at his master who nodded, even though the displeasure was showing clearly on his face, the house elf disappeared.

Immediately Ginny entered the large hall way and closed the door behind her. She tucked a few loose, red strands behind her ear and snatched the letter out her bag, handing it over to Harry. "See, it's all written here."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Harry opened the letter and read it.

" _Dear Ginny_

_Of course I would like to have a flying match with you. It would be real fun to fly with you again after all those years._

_What do you say of the 28th of January at the Quidditch field you mentioned? Let's say around nine a.m.?_

_I'm looking forward to see you again._

_Love_

_Harry"_

Draco, who had read the letter over Harry's shoulder, narrowed his eyes. "I thought you said you hadn't invited her?" he hissed in Harry's ear.

Harry shook his head, absentmindedly pushing his hair back. "I didn't. I don't know whom that came from, but Ginny, I never wrote this letter," he said and gave her the letter back.

"Are you serious, Harry? Are you telling me that you never even read my letter?" she scoffed and narrowed her eyes at Draco. Was he the one responsible for this?

"What letter?" Harry started to feel very confused now. What on earth was Ginny talking about? He hadn't received a letter from her in months.

"The letter I sent you a week ago, where I asked you whether you wanted to meet again to fly," Ginny explained, now getting confused too. Had Harry never read the letter? If he hadn't, then who had replied to her?" "You sent this reply back."

Harry shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, Ginny, but I never read a letter nor answered one. I don't know who wrote this, but it definitely wasn't me."

"But it's your handwriting!" Ginny said frustrated.

He shrugged helplessly. "I admit that it looks remarkably well like my handwriting, but I'm sure that I never wrote that. I would have remembered that."

Ginny stared from the letter to Harry and back. She was utterly confused. Harry claimed he had never read her letter or replied to her. How come he had never received her letter? Who … Her head shot up and she glared hotly at Draco, who raised an eyebrow.

"You! You're the one who replied, you asshole!" she hissed.

"Weasley, you're making a fool of yourself. Why on earth would I read your letter and reply to it?" Draco drawled rhetorically. "If I would ever read a letter written by you, I would set in on fire instead of taking the time to reply."

Harry clucked annoyed with his tongue and looked at Draco warningly.

Ginny's cheeks puffed up and reddened spectacularly. "Then who the fuck wrote this?" she snapped and waved the letter in the air.

SPLASH!

The two men blinked and gaped when a water balloon smacked right into Ginny's face, exploding on impact, drenching her in something that was not water.

Harry wrinkled his nose when a disgusting smell – something like rotten eggs mixed with the smell of a wet dog – reached his nostrils and he coughed, pushing his sleeve in front of his nose. "Ginny, are you all right?" he asked shocked.

Ginny spluttered, droplets falling on the floor. She paled when the smell penetrated her nose and she gagged. "NO! I'm not fucking okay! Who the hell did this?" she snapped angrily and her furious eyes landed on a little, blond, grey-eyed boy who stood on the stairs, his head cocked to the right.

"I'm sorry, miss," the boy apologized in a high, innocent voice and he blinked with his large eyes. "It slipped out of my hands."

The two other men turned around and Draco smirked when he saw his son. Ah, the innocent 'I-didn't-do-it-and-you-can-never-prove-I-was-the- guilty-one' look. It fooled every outsider – except when you were a Malfoy. Draco saw clearly how Scorpius wasn't sorry _at all_ for throwing that water balloon. The only question was, why had he thrown it? Scorpius had never met the Weaselette to know how bitchy and a waste of air she was.

"Scorpius, shouldn't you be following your lessons? And where did you get that balloon?" Harry asked, frowning, his hands on his hips.

"Uncle Sev says I and Teddy have a break," Scorpius answered, smiling happily. "The balloon is a present from Uncle George."

Ginny fumed; her own brother had provided a Malfoy child with toys! What had he been thinking? Fury and confusion were battling against each other; who was Uncle Sev?

"Merlin, Scorpius, what did you put in that balloon?" A second high voice joined them and Teddy appeared from behind the corner, protecting his nose with a handkerchief.

"Yes, that's something I would like to know as well," Draco smirked.

Scorpius grinned. "Uncle Sev showed me a picture of a stink potion and he showed me how to make it. He says I made it good," he said proudly.

"Snape is teaching you these kind of things?" Harry asked, not sure if he should laugh or be angry.

"Snape?" Ginny exclaimed shrilly. She paled even further. Snape as in Professor Snape, the fear of every Hogwarts student? The bastard who had betrayed them all? He was still alive? How was that possible? Harry had told her he had seen him dying in the Shrieking Shack. He had been poisoned by Voldemort's snake; nobody survived an attack of that monster. Why hadn't he died?

Harry winced and slowly turned around to face Ginny. Right, he had forgotten Ginny didn't know about Snape still being alive. He rubbed his neck nervously. "Yeah, it's a long story, Ginny, but in short Snape survived the snake's attack by taking an antidote. He has been hiding for years in his home until I found him back with Draco's help to ask him for assistance in a case I was working on," he hurriedly explained.

She looked at him shocked. "Harry, why Snape? I mean, he betrayed us!" She looked hurt.

"It's not that simple, Gin," Harry sighed, glancing at her. "Not everything is black and white. Snape had his reasons for doing the things he did."

"What good reasons can he give?" she cried out frustrated.

"Listen, Ginny, I know you don't trust Snape, but it's not like you have to meet him," Harry reassured her. "He's just here to teach the boys."

"But …" she trailed off, shocked and hurt that Harry had kept something so important from her.

"Why don't you go home, Gin? Take a nice bath; we can talk later," Harry murmured softly and carefully guided her back to the door, not seeing how Teddy and Draco were smirking.

In a daze she turned around and walked out the door.

"Ginny."

She stopped abruptly when Harry called out her name and turned around hopefully. "Yes, Harry?" she asked, wrinkling her nose against the hideous smell. Merlin, this day had not gone like she had hoped for.

"Please don't mention to anyone that Snape is still alive. The man doesn't deserve the trouble that would cause," Harry spoke softly.

She wanted to protest, really wanting to see Snape in Azkaban for all the things he did, but she couldn't do it when she saw how sincere Harry looked at her. Getting Snape in trouble wouldn't be satisfying if she lost Harry with that.

She sighed and nodded. "I promise."

"Thank you, Gin," Harry smiled softly. "Have a good trip home."

Harry turned around to close the door, but not before Ginny was able to see Malfoy giving her the middle finger with a taunting smirk.

Fury lit up again. If she couldn't make Snape pay, she would do something worse to Malfoy. She had been nice for a very long time, but now the time of playing nice was over. She would get Harry back, no matter what she had to do. And no matter how dirty handed she had to get.

She smirked and Apparated to her home. She would have to do some research before she could start her plan.

* * *

While papa was talking to his daddy, Scorpius followed his big brother back to the corridor, hiding out of sight and hearing of their parents.

"Did I do good, Teddy?" Scorpius asked hopefully.

Teddy resisted the urge to correct Scorpius' grammar and instead ruffled him shortly over his blond hair. "You did very well, Scorpius. Thank you," he smirked. He would always remember that stupid face that Ginny pulled when the balloon hit her. He wished he could have taken a picture of that.

Scorpius beamed, feeling ecstatic that he had made his big brother proud. He started to skip along with Teddy, who was walking back to their improvised classroom.

* * *

_4th of February_

It was the day of the appointment and Harry was nervous and jittery throughout the whole morning. He had tried to study some more, but had to give up soon when he realized there was no way he could concentrate on the text. So he had taken to rearrange everything in his room and that of the boys, trying to work off that nervous energy.

He tried to reassure himself the whole time that he had nothing to worry about, that there was no way he could be pregnant. But a nagging voice in the back of his head argued that considering two people – who were both very fluent in potions – had already said pregnancy potions worked fast, there was a high chance he was carrying a child right now.

Harry really did his best to ignore that voice.

Draco was watching him flying around the room, shaking his head. He wondered if he would have to sedate Harry when the time came to go to their appointment.

He himself was nervous too, but it was a happy kind of nervous, the one you get when you're expecting something nice. He was almost a hundred per cent certain that Harry was carrying his child and he couldn't wait to hear his suspicions confirmed. He only hoped that Harry would be as happy as him when he heard the news.

He had told Severus about the appointment and after getting a hard look of his godfather; the man had arranged to be away with the boys for the whole day under the pretence that they would be studying plants in the woods.

Draco wondered how the boys would react when they heard that Harry was pregnant. His son would be delirious with happiness, he thought wryly. As for Teddy he wasn't sure.

Finally, the clock pointed out that it was a quarter to three and Draco went to Harry, who was now rearranging his books on alphabet and tapped his shoulder.

Harry's head shot up quickly.

"It's time to leave, Harry," Draco said softly.

Harry swallowed and nodded slowly. When he stood up, he could feel his legs shaking and had to take a deep breath a couple of times before he was certain he could walk without tripping.

"Okay, let's go," he mumbled and kept his head down to the floor while they made their way to the fireplace. He felt Draco grabbing his hand and squeezing it reassuringly before the blond man called out their destination.

They arrived at Rowland's office too quickly to Harry's liking. If it had been up to him he would have taken a detour or better yet, stayed home.

As it was, he was almost dragged by his hand by Draco, who had a strange glint in his eyes that Harry didn't want to know the source of.

Rowland looked up when the couple entered his office. He stood up to give them a hand. "Ah, good afternoon, Mister Potter and Mister Malfoy," he greeted them.

They nodded back and sat down on the chairs in front of the desk.

"Good afternoon," Harry said softly, breathing out slowly.

"What can I do for you?" Rowland asked him with piercing eyes.

Harry swallowed again and stared at the floor with white tiles when he said in a monotone voice, "I need you to do a pregnancy test, sir."

Rowland refrained from sighing; hadn't he told them to be careful? To use protection when they had sex? Ah well, it didn't matter anymore. If Potter was pregnant, it would be too late for them to start using protection anyway.

"Please go sit on that table and lift your shirt up," Rowland instructed and grabbed his wand.

With shaking legs, Harry climbed on the table, feeling the paper crinkle underneath his butt and lifted his shirt up, showing his stomach.

Draco came to stand slightly behind him, grabbing his hand tightly while rubbing his lower back soothingly with the other.

"Now I'm going to use a spell that will determine whether you're pregnant or not," Rowland explained and lifted up his wand, pointing it at Harry's bare stomach.

Harry nodded weakly and stared at the wall behind the Healer, not wanting to look him in the eyes.

"Testimonium praegnantis," Rowland muttered and a blue light enveloped Harry's stomach before turning white and disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"And?" Draco asked, tensing.

Rowland tried to catch Harry's eyes, but realized quickly that was futile and decided to just say it. "Well, congratulations, Mister Potter. You're just a few days away of being one month pregnant."

Draco couldn't contain his beaming smile and he hugged Harry tightly. "Did you hear it, Harry? We're going to have a baby!" he whispered excitedly in Harry's ear.

Oh, he had heard it, all right. He only wished it hadn't been true. This was just unreal. What did he have to do now?


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: drama, a bit of angst, goodbye to a rather OOC Ginny, nothing else I can think of. Well, yeah and from here on it's MPreg
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it  
> Also I don't own the poems

**Chapter 34**

_4th of February_

"We're lucky that your pregnancy is discovered in the early stage," Rowland said calmly and walked back to his desk, grabbing a sheet of paper and started writing something on it. "Here is the list with potions you'll need to take from now on until your eight month. You can find those potions in any apothecary. I also need you to come back in two weeks to make sure that the foetus has settled itself fully in your womb and not outside of it."

Draco looked up alarmed. They could lose the baby through that?

Rowland hastily continued, "Although that only happens when you don't take the necessary potions needed in this stage of the pregnancy. If you start with the potions tomorrow, then you have nothing to worry about during the check up in two weeks."

Mechanically Harry accepted the folded paper and stuck it in his pocket. On automatic pilot he shook Rowland's hand and followed an excited Draco out of the office. Vaguely he registered Draco grabbing his hand and leading him through the Floo.

It was almost four p.m., but Draco remembered that Severus had said he would be back with the boys at six. That left with him with two hours to talk with Harry about the baby.

He led his unresponsive lover to the couch and pushed him down softly. Thinking about the list with potions, he figured he could ask Severus to make them.

"Harry, now we really do need to talk," he began seriously. This time he wouldn't be deterred and he wouldn't let Harry slip away to some remote part of the manor. They would talk about the situation and they would do it now. No excuses.

Harry sighed and leant back against the back of the couch. "What are we going to do now?" he muttered, blank eyes staring at the ceiling.

Draco hesitated. Clearly Harry was not happy with the fact that he was pregnant which to be honest confused him. He had always thought Harry to be a family man who would love to have many kids. Now they had the chance to have a child of their own. Wouldn't Harry be happy with that?

"Eh, I thought we could keep the baby," he mumbled; his happiness slowly draining away at Harry's cool response.

Green eyes looked at him in shock. "Keep it?" Harry repeated weakly. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, why not? It's our baby," Draco replied, his voice getting stronger. Why was it wrong of him to want to keep the baby? It was something of them both, something they had created out of love. How the baby had gotten in Harry didn't matter; the only thing that mattered was that they would get a child of them both.

"Draco, we're only together for a few months; don't you think it's too early to have a child?" Harry sighed, raking his hand through his hair.

Draco swallowed; those had been the exact same words Severus had uttered a while ago when the possibility had come up that Harry could be pregnant. Why was it this time that Harry decided to side with Severus? Of course he didn't know that Severus had said the same thing to Draco, but it still came down on the fact that Harry wasn't happy with their baby.

"If we had been complete strangers when we started this relationship, then yes, it would probably have been too early," Draco started calmly. If he just stayed calm and explained to Harry his view of the pregnancy, then surely Harry would realize that this baby was a good thing that had happened to them. "But Harry, we have known each other since we were eleven. All right, so we didn't get along perfectly at that time, but the thing is that we know each other really well. And we already have two boys. It's not as if we don't know a thing about parenting."

"But this would be a kid of our own; that's something entirely different," Harry replied through clenched teeth.

"What do you want to do then?" Draco asked softly, dreading the answer. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear Harry's reply. What if it was something he rather didn't hear?

Harry let his hands fell back on the couch with a soft, dull pop. "I don't know, Draco. I just need to think about it." He looked at him pleadingly. "Can we talk about it later? I want to clear my head a bit."

Draco sighed and leant back in the couch. "What's later? We can't ignore it forever, Harry."

"I know we can't. All I ask is that you give me some time so that I can think about it," Harry retorted calmly. "It's not like I've been dreaming all my life of carrying children myself. This is just … a bit much to take in."

"But you're still going to take those potions, right?" Draco asked, looking for reassurance. It would be so easy for Harry to not take the potions; it would have serious consequences if he didn't take them, but what if Harry wanted to face those consequences?

No. Harry would never do something that would endanger their child. He wouldn't want to lose it, right?

The terrible thing was that Draco couldn't even be sure of that. He was excited at the prospect of another child, but Harry obviously had other ideas. Ultimately it was up to Harry to decide what happened with the baby. After all, he was the one carrying it. Draco couldn't force him to keep it if he didn't want the baby. All he could do, was hope that Harry would realize that this baby was the best thing that could have happened to them. It sickened him a bit to know that his happiness was now pushed completely in Harry's hands.

With one decision Harry could break his heart.

Harry slipped out of the room and Draco was left wondering if their relationship would survive if Harry decided to not keep the baby.

* * *

Harry made his way to his room. It was maybe not the best place to hide for thinking, but he couldn't bring himself to search for a more secluded place.

He was dead tired. He let himself fall on his bed and stared at the ceiling. There was no more denying now. There was no way he could go on thinking he couldn't be pregnant.

What should he do now? The pro side of keeping the child didn't weigh up to the contra side of removing the child.

He could think of many downsides of keeping the baby. There was the fact that he and Draco weren't together for that long. Sure, they knew each other since they were eleven, but that didn't really count. Until a few months ago, he had wanted to hex Draco. What if he and Draco split up in a few years? Without the baby, he could just disappear from Draco's life and never have to see him again. But with the child, there would a lot of problems like visiting rights. He would never be able to cut Draco out of his life completely if they had a baby together.

All right, so maybe it wasn't a healthy thing to think of a possible breakup. He was happy with Draco now; there was no reason to think that would be different in a few years.

Then there was also the murderer to think of. That man was the reason why he was carrying a child now. Harry doubted it was because the man wanted him to be happy. So if he kept the baby, he would be playing in the killer's cards. That was something he didn't want to think about.

However, it was only fair to think of the positive sides of the pregnancy as well. Although there weren't many positive sides he could think of. So maybe he had dreamt of having his own baby when he was younger. But when he pictured having his own child, it had been his wife carrying it, not him. It was unnatural for a man to be pregnant. Why was he the only one to see that? Why couldn't Draco think more rationally?

Harry sighed and sat up, leaning against the wall. He actually felt guilty when he thought about how happy Draco was with the news. He had been afraid that Draco would be disgusted with him as soon as he had heard that he could be pregnant and though he was relieved that Draco wasn't disgusted – the total opposite of it actually – that didn't mean everything was suddenly okay.

He didn't want to keep the baby just to make Draco happy. What good would that do? In the worst case it would make him resent his own child and that was something he didn't want. No child deserved to be resented by his own parent.

Speaking of parents, he suddenly wondered how his parents would have reacted if they knew he was knocked up. Would they be happy to have a grandchild? Or would they hate him, finding him a freak? Would they even have accepted Draco? At times like this, he wished he had known his parents – or that at least Sirius and Remus had stayed alive.

Sirius would probably have killed him for choosing Draco though. Or just castrated Draco.

A small, dry laugh escaped Harry's throat. He could envision the shock on Sirius' face when he told him Draco had knocked him up. His godfather would probably faint.

Harry groaned and let his head smack against the wall. Reminiscing about his family was all good and humorous, but it didn't help him with his current problem.

This was just getting too much. How was he supposed to make a decision now? This would affect his life whichever he decided to do. He couldn't decide this night.

His emerald green eyes roomed across the room, taking everything in. They stopped at a round shaped, stone bowl and grew big. Memories. He still had those memories of his parents to look at.

Yes, that was what he would be doing tonight. He would forget about the pregnancy and just watch some memories of his parents; it would be a good thing to distract him.

He stood up and walked over to the bowl. After the holidays had ended, he had taken the Pensive and placed it in his room. He had felt much better having the memories of his family close to him.

Harry took a deep breath and dipped his head in the bowl, the images swirling around him, waiting to be chosen. Not really looking at anything, he just picked a memory at random.

His feet touched a wooden floor and he looked around to find himself in a cosy living room. There was a red carpet lying in front of the fireplace and the flames of the fire were being reflected in the windows. There was only one door that led to a hallway. A couch was placed against the wall and two other armchairs stood in front of it, all three red of colour. A bookcase was standing next to a grandfather's clock. Looking outside, Harry noticed it was evening, but he couldn't make out which season it was.

He almost jumped three feet in the air when a dark haired man suddenly entered the room and sat down on an armchair. Harry was staring at James Potter.

His father's brown eyes were trained on the door and he was tapping his foot impatiently.

"Lily! Come on! Hurry up already!" he huffed, crossing his arms.

"Be freaking patient, James! Merlin, you would think you had to wait ages," a red haired woman huffed and she glared at her husband when she entered the room.

Harry couldn't think anything else than that his mother was beautiful. Her long, flaming red hair (much brighter than the orange tinted hair of the Weasleys) flowed on her back in loose curls. Her big, emerald green eyes softened when she looked at her husband and a smile was tugging on her beautiful face.

She crossed the room quickly and sat down on James' lap and Harry fervently wished they wouldn't start making out. That was something he didn't want to see of his parents.

"Well, I went to Poppy today," Lily started.

James put his arms around her waist and he looked at her anxiously. "And what did she say?"

Lily put her head against James' forehead, her smile getting brighter. "She said you better take good care of me, daddy."

James' face beamed and he hugged his wife tightly, kissing her passionately. He placed his hand on her stomach and looked at it in wonder. "You mean that we're having a baby?" he asked breathlessly.

Lilly nodded and kissed him again. "Yes, I'm already two months far!" she told him excitedly.

"We're going to celebrate this!" James declared and he stood up, his wife following him, beaming all the way.

The memory ended there and Harry couldn't help but wonder in the back of his mind how Snape had attained that particular memory.

He swallowed the lump that had found his way in his throat. His parents had looked so happy when they heard Lily was expecting him. It had looked like they couldn't be happier than at that moment.

Swallowing he chose another memory.

This time he was somewhere outside in a garden, the sun beating down on him. His parents were sitting on the grass, his mother leaning against his father's chest, her swollen stomach being caressed by James.

They were joined by a very young looking Sirius and Remus. Harry's eyes nearly popped out when he saw just how young they all looked. The war had done more than just taking their friends' lives; it had literally aged them.

Sirius bent down to talk to Lily's belly.

"And how is my godson doing today?" he cooed and placed his hands on the protruding stomach.

Lily laughed; a soft, twinkling sound that made Harry unconsciously relax. His mother had a very nice laugh. "He's doing just fine, Padfoot. He's a night person just like his father." She grimaced. "He kept me up all night with his kicking."

"Yes! That means we can make a perfect Marauder out of him!" Sirius grinned, but covered his head when Remus smacked him.

"He doesn't need to roam around at night in Hogwarts, you idiot. He would get into too much trouble," Remus scolded him.

Sirius scowled at him. "Just wait you. He'll make his godfather proud."

James snickered. "He wouldn't have to do much to do that."

"What do you mean with that?" Sirius asked insulted.

James opened his mouth to reply, but closed it and looked abruptly at Lily's stomach. "Damn, he's one hell of a kicker," he said surprised.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You think?"

"Oh, and besides turning him into a Marauder, I'll also be having so much fun with turning him into a ladies' man." Sirius laughed his barking laugh, rubbing his hands in glee. "The tricks I can show him … I mean even with James' looks, he'll get the ladies if he follows my advice."

Remus and Lily smacked him again while James looked insulted.

"Hey, I'm better looking than you!"

"Who says he's going to be a ladies' man?" Remus suddenly remarked and the small group turned to stare at him. He raised his hands and looked defensively. "What? He can turn out gay too, you know."

James blinked. "Well, if he is gay, then that's fine too I suppose. We'll just have to change our advice a bit I reckon," he laughed.

Sirius pouted, but snickered too.

Lily however got a strange glint in her eyes.

Remus regarded her warily. "Eh, Lily, why are you looking like that?"

"Can you imagine how cute he would be if he was expecting his own child?" Lily suddenly squealed, clapping her hands, shocking the men. "Oh, the things we can talk about together! It will be so much fun, shopping for maternity clothes and baby clothing and all the other stuff. I could give him advice and everything!"

"Eh, Lilyflower, who says our son will be the one carrying?" James asked warily. "And why do you automatically assume he'll be gay and be bottom?"

Sirius just looked at the woman in shock while Remus wasn't sure if he should be amused or disturbed.

Lily waved her hand dismissively. "If he gets my nature, he won't want anything else than to carry his own children. Can you imagine how cute our grandchildren would look?" She got a dreamy look in her eyes. "Oh, I can't wait to see that happen!"

"Lily, he still has to be born," James weakly pointed out. "Don't you think it's a bit too soon to already think about future grandchildren?"

"You never can be early enough," Lily insisted.

"I feel sorry for the little guy," Sirius muttered to Remus who couldn't help but agree. Poor cub; he wouldn't stand a chance against Lily.

Harry left the memory in shock. He exited the Pensive and stumbled over to his bed. Watching such a memory left him shaking. He still didn't know how Snape had gotten those particular memories (he hadn't been in any of them), but he pushed that thought to the back of his head.

His parents would have been happy with his choice of partner – well at least with the part of being gay. Harry still wasn't sure if they would have approved of Draco, but he was comforted with the thought they wouldn't have hated him for being gay.

Although he couldn't help but shudder when he thought of the look in his mother's eyes when she was discussing grandchildren. Maybe it was a good thing for him that she wasn't here to see him pregnant. He had a feeling that he wouldn't survive that.

Strangely it had done something to him, seeing his parents so happy with the pregnancy. They had been excited to have him, had been patiently waiting for him to be born. Had he been planned or had he been an accident? Whatever it was, it hadn't mattered to them, because they were obviously happy when his mother had been expecting him. They had had every reason to be afraid of having a child; they had been living in a war and Voldemort could have attacked at any moment. Still that hadn't kept them from keeping him and being happy with him.

He stood up – his legs still shaking – and stared out of the window. Even in full war time, they had welcomed a child with open arms, knowing full well that something disastrous could happen to them. They had been brave enough for it.

"What should I do?" Harry muttered, green eyes staring at the endless garden, still covered in snow.

Without realizing it, he had placed his hand on his stomach, whilst thinking about his options.

* * *

That evening, during dinner, Draco had noticed how quiet Harry was and how pensive. He had eaten his dinner almost robot like, listening to the boys' chatter, offering them smiles and encouraging words to keep them talking. His eyes had been vacant the whole time. He might have been talking with the boys, but his mind had been elsewhere.

Draco had wanted nothing more than to discuss the pregnancy further when they had went to bed, but he instinctively knew that pushing Harry to talk about it would only work against him. Harry would retreat further in his shell and he would stubbornly cling to the notion that a pregnancy at this moment was the stupidest thing they could do. If he kept himself from arguing or pushing, he may have a chance that Harry would think about keeping the baby.

While Harry had busied himself with Teddy and Scorpius, Draco had taken Severus aside to speak to him about the potions.

Severus had shaken his head and had looked disapprovingly at him, but he had assured his godson that he would make the potions for Harry. If only to make sure that Harry wouldn't get poisoned.

Grey eyes followed Harry while he came from the bathroom, dressing in a long sleeved shirt and shorts. For a short moment, Draco had seen Harry's bare stomach and he couldn't help but try and envision how Harry would look with a protruding stomach, full with their child.

The image that popped up made him flush.

Harry climbed in bed, but frowned when he saw the flushed state Draco was in. He reached out and touched Draco's forehead briefly, checking his temperature.

"Are you okay? Are you getting sick?" Harry asked worriedly.

Draco pulled him towards his chest, trapping his lover in his arms. He kissed his lips gently. "No, I'm not getting sick, don't worry," he muttered, discreetly moving his hand until it covered Harry's stomach.

If Harry noticed the peculiar position of his hand, he didn't mention it nor did anything to discourage him from it.

"Good night, Harry," Draco whispered.

A quick kiss was pressed against his collarbone. "Good night, Draco," Harry murmured and almost instantly fell asleep.

Draco stayed awake for a little while longer, caressing Harry's hair and looking at him, the moon illuminating Harry's face.

"If only you would realize how much I would love having a child with you," Draco whispered sadly and closed his eyes finally, trying to catch some sleep.

He never felt Harry's hand tightening on the one he kept around Harry's stomach.

* * *

_5th of February_

The next morning Draco found Harry playing with the blocks with Scorpius, while listening to Teddy reading a story.

Again Draco resisted the urge to ask Harry about the baby and just turned to the kitchen where he found a tray filled with vials standing on the kitchen counter. Frowning, he read the short letter that was lying next to it.

' _Draco_

_I made the potions for Potter. This batch will last him for two months. If you need more, then inform me on time._

_Severus'_

Although Draco was grateful to Severus for making the potions, he didn't like the implication that they wouldn't need more potions. Severus was implying that they would only use this batch of potions, because Harry wouldn't keep the baby.

Draco sighed and stuffed the letter in his pocket. He just had to prove Severus wrong. But first he had to get Harry to take a potion.

He walked back to the living room. "Harry, it's time for the potion," he said in what he hoped was a neutral voice.

Teddy and Scorpius looked at him worriedly. "Daddy, are you sick?" Scorpius asked, wringing his hands fitfully.

Harry shook his head and stood up smiling. "No, I'm not sick. Those potions are vitamins I have to take," he explained and made his way to the kitchen, where he swallowed the potion with a grimace.

Draco was actually surprised that Harry didn't put up a fight about the potions.

"Harry, …"

Harry cut him off. "Draco, no. Not now," he said firmly and returned back to the boys.

Draco sighed and shook his head. At least he had taken the potion.

He went to his study to sign some documents from acquaintances in Europe. After signing three documents and sealing them before placing them aside, his eyes caught the calendar hanging on the wall opposite of him. He blinked and realized it was almost Valentine's Day.

"Hm," he sighed and leant back in his chair, his fingers tapping on his desk. What should he get Harry as a present?

Grey eyes shifted to a closed drawer on his right. Well, he had a present … But maybe it was too soon? Then again, Harry was already pregnant … It would only be the right thing to do.

Draco shifted in his chair and looked pensively at the drawer. Would he risk rejection? Could he handle that?

* * *

_9th of February_

When Harry woke up that morning, he was met with a yellow rose lying on his pillow. Confused he leant on his elbow and picked up the rose. The sweet smell reached his nose and he smiled softly.

He turned around to give Draco a kiss, but the other side of the bed was empty. He sat up and noticed a folded paper waiting for him on his nightstand.

Curiously he opened the parchment and read.

" _You're... My friend_

_my companion,_

_through good times and bad_

_through happy and sad,_

_beside me you stand,_

_beside me you walk,_

_you're there to listen,_

_you're there to talk,_

_with happiness,_

_with smiles,_

_with pain and tears,_

_I know you'll be there, throughout the years!_

_Thank you for giving me a chance, Harry. I'll make sure you'll never regret it!_

_All my love_

_Draco"_

Through blurry sight, Harry smiled and traced the words carefully. That was such a sweet thing of Draco to do for him.

Before entering the bathroom, he carefully put the letter in a box and the flower in a vase. With one last, tender look, he went to take a shower.

* * *

The next day, Harry found a white rose placed on his books, together with a folded letter. Upon opening it, he found a little poem.

" _The red rose whispers of passion,_

_And the white rose breathes of love;_

_O, the red rose is a falcon,_

_And the white rose is a dove._

_White roses stand for purity and innocence and that's how I would describe you. You're the most innocent and purest person I ever met and I'm thankful for every day you allow me to stay with you._

_All my love_

_Draco"_

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Harry placed the white rose next to the yellow one and blinked away the few tears that had formed in his eyes.

He turned around and went to find Draco. It was only proper to thank him for the poem and the rose after all.

* * *

On the eleventh of February, two things happened.

Harry was taking a walk in the garden, enjoying the silence and the beauty of a garden covered in pure white snow when he was stopped abruptly by something sparkling in the air. Slowly he walked over to it and gasped softly when a lavender coloured rose appeared in front of him, a note attached to it.

Smiling excitedly, Harry reached out and grabbed the flower, carefully untying the note from it. Taking in the sweet smell of the flower, he read the letter with a tender smile.

" _This time no poem, but just my confession. This flower stands for love at first sight and coincidentally also for enchantment. I may have not fallen in love with you immediately, but I knew from the moment I met you when we were eleven that you were special and not only because you were the bloody Boy-Who-Lived. Sadly it took me a while to realize why exactly you caught my attention so much. I guess I have to thank my son for opening my eyes properly._

_You are a wizard, but you didn't have to use your magic to enchant me. Your personality and looks was all you needed to draw me in and I cannot wait to discover more of you._

_I love you, Harry and I thank you for brightening up my life._

_All my love_

_Draco"_

Harry pressed the letter against his chest and a few teardrops fell on the rose. He chuckled weakly and shook his head. Who knew Draco was such a romantic?

He still didn't know why Draco sent him those roses and Draco didn't want to tell him, claiming they were just leading up to a bigger present.

At first Harry hadn't understood why he would receive a present until he had looked at the date. It was only a few days until Valentine's Day and Harry had been panicking for days now, because he didn't have a clue as to what he could give Draco. He had been ranking his brain for a suitable present, but had come up with nothing. He knew Draco didn't expect a present for him, but he would feel guilty if he didn't have anything for him.

The present had to be something that would show Harry loved him. What kind of gift would show that?

Aside from that, he had also been thinking about the baby. He had been wavering between keeping the child and removing it. On one hand he knew it was a very bad idea to keep the child while the killer was still out there, waiting for his chance, but on the other hand, he didn't want to _murder_ his own baby. If he had the baby removed, he would feel like he killed it. The thought alone made him very uncomfortable.

Besides, he had seen Draco looking at his stomach with a tender look and he had felt his hand caressing his stomach at night. Draco thought he was inconspicuous when he did that, but Harry always noticed it and it had his heart fluttering for some reason.

The fact that Draco was obviously happy with the pregnancy made Harry think more about his decision. If he had to be honest, he would have to admit that the thought of carrying his own child had some appeal. Still he hadn't fully decided what he should do with the baby.

Slowly he made his way back to the house, clutching the letter and the rose to his chest.

When he entered the hallway however, he immediately sensed a tense air. Frowning, he placed the letter and the rose on a small table against the wall and walked further.

Ginny was standing in the hallway, trembling and crying silently while Draco was looking at her in disgust.

Harry immediately made his way over to her. He grabbed her hand and stroked away some tears. "Ginny, what's wrong? Did something happen? Why are you crying?" he asked worriedly.

"I have – have to tell you something," Ginny cried softly and buried her face in Harry's chest.

Harry frowned and looked over to Draco who was now glaring heatedly at the red haired woman. "Come on, Ginny, let's go to the living room."

He led her slowly to the living room and pushed her down on the couch, sitting next to her.

Draco entered the room too, leaning against the door with his arms crossed.

"Can Malfoy leave?" Ginny whispered in a broken voice.

"Why should I leave when you're the one who's intruding?" Draco snapped angrily.

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously. "Draco, just wait in the hallway or something. I promise it won't take long."

Draco glared harder, but turned around sharply and stormed out of the room.

"Tell me what happened, Ginny," Harry repeated his question.

Trembling and sobbing Ginny told him, "I didn't want to tell you this, but I don't want him to hurt you too."

"Who would hurt me?" Harry asked confused.

"Malfoy." Ginny sobbed harder. "He – he sent me a letter a few days ago. Said he wanted to talk to me. But when – when I met him, he – he …"

"He what?" Harry got a dreading feeling in his stomach. Had Draco hurt her? Hexed her? But something didn't feel right. _A few days ago._ To his knowledge Draco had never left the house. And why would he want to meet Ginny?

"He – he … raped me," Ginny whispered almost inaudibly.

Harry froze; green eyes narrowed and stared at the opposite wall. Raped her? That was a serious accusation. If Ginny took that accusation to the Ministry, they would throw Draco in Azkaban without even batting an eye. Draco was trying hard to build up the Malfoy name in a positive way, but that didn't mean that people had forgotten about the Malfoys' part in the war. One had to complain once about Draco and Draco wouldn't stand a chance.

Harry stared at Ginny's bowed head. She seemed so sincere, but Harry couldn't believe that Draco would do something horrible like that. It didn't make any sense. Why would he want to meet Ginny and then rape her? He loathed everything about her; Harry couldn't even mention her name once without him starting to spit fire. There was no way he would rape her. Draco wasn't a horrible person. What was Ginny playing at with saying such things?

"Can you prove that?"

Ginny started at hearing Harry's cold voice. She stared at him in shock. Why would Harry ask her such a thing? Why didn't he believe her straight away? He should have been comforting her now, dumping Malfoy and getting him put in prison. "Harry, I – I swear I'm not lying!" she sobbed and wringed her hands together nervously.

Harry leant back in the couch, crossing his arms, looking at her with a calculating gaze. "Then you won't have any trouble with providing me evidence."

"Don't you believe me?" she asked in shock.

"Ginny, if you want to accuse Draco of rape, then you have to provide evidence. The court would want to see evidence before they put up a trial against Draco," Harry replied impatiently.

Ginny shot up, glaring furiously at Harry. "Fine! I'll give you the memory!"

"Good, I'm going to get the Pensive," Harry said calmly and stood up. "Stay here; I'm only gone for a minute."

Harry walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He turned around to see Draco leaning against the wall.

"What did she tell you?" Draco asked, trying to keep calm.

Harry raised an eyebrow and made his way to the stairs. "That you raped her a few days ago."

"WHAT!" Draco looked at him in shock. "How … What … THE FUCK? I wouldn't want to touch her if she was the last freaking woman on earth! You have to believe me!"

"Don't worry, I know you wouldn't do something like that," Harry assured him, walking to his room with Draco following him. "I don't know why she would accuse you of something that horrible, but she's going too far now. Why would she do something horrible like that?" He shook his head in wonder. "She has to know that you would never get out of Azkaban alive if she took that to court."

"Haven't you figured it out already, Harry?" Draco scoffed. "That fucking bitch wants you all to herself. She said so last time we met in that pub. When you were gone to the bathroom, she told me I had to enjoy the time I had with you." He crossed his arms. "I never thought she would go that far, though." He frowned. He looked at Harry. "What are you going to do now?"

"She's going to provide me with evidence." Harry smiled thinly and picked up the Pensive. "We have to stop her before she goes to court. If she thinks she can fool me in thinking you would do something like that, she obviously doesn't know me well."

Draco stopped him when he wanted to exit the room. Harry looked at him surprised.

Draco kissed him softly. "Thanks for believing me and not her," he whispered.

"Draco, you're my lover. Even if you were a downright arrogant bastard in Hogwarts, you would never hurt a person like that," Harry replied, squeezing his hand. "I know that; you would have hexed her instead."

Draco chuckled drily.

"Besides, she said you raped her a few days ago – that's impossible, considering you never left the house," Harry continued, while going back to the living room.

He entered the room with Draco following him. Ginny tensed when she saw Malfoy closing the door.

"What is he doing here?" she asked in a trembling voice. She couldn't help but curse inwardly. Why was Harry being so difficult? He should have been helping her now, even Stunning Malfoy and bringing him to the Ministry.

"Don't pay attention to him. Please drop the memory in this Pensive," Harry instructed her and pointed to the Pensive standing on the table.

Glaring at the floor, she took her wand and withdrew the memory from her mind, concentrating on it heavily so that everything would be in it.

While Harry waited for the memory to settle and to begin, he nor Draco or Ginny noticed the door opening and two small boys joining them silently.

Teddy frowned when he saw Ginny sitting on the couch with puffy, red eyes and wondered what she was trying to do now. He couldn't throw another potion on her, because it would be obvious he did it on purpose if he tried to do that now.

Next to him Scorpius cocked his head to the left, confused as to why the mean lady was back again.

He wanted to open his mouth to question his parents, but was hushed by a warning look and a hand on his shoulder from Teddy. Figuring his big brother would know what to do, he kept silent, watching the memory in fascination.

The Draco in the memory had his face contorted in sick pleasure while he forced Ginny to take off her clothes, holding a wand at her throat. The Ginny in the memory was sobbing and trembling, but following the orders. The memory ended at the moment Draco pushed Ginny on the bed before forcing himself upon her.

"See? Are you now satisfied?" Ginny sneered. "You have your memory now."

Harry glanced at Draco. He had thought Ginny wouldn't have managed to produce a memory, considering the accusation was clearly false, but he had underestimated her. Nobody but he and Draco would be able to tell it was a false memory. And the only reason why they would be able to tell it was a lie was because Harry knew Draco had been with him all the time. How was he supposed to save Draco out of this?

"Papa doesn't wear that ugly colour."

Harry and Draco both jumped nearly three feet in the air when they heard the clear, high voice of Scorpius behind them. They whipped around, staring at the two boys standing in front of the closed door.

"What do you mean, Scorpius?" Harry asked confused. How much had the boy seen of the memory?

Teddy was glaring at Ginny, knowing she was lying. She was trying to steal his dad again! Why couldn't she just give up?

Scorpius pointed his little finger at the Pensive. "Papa never wears the colour of purple. He says it makes him look ugly," he repeated.

Harry slowly turned back to Ginny who had reddened in the face.

"Why are you looking at me that way?"she asked nervously.

"If Draco doesn't wear that type of colour, then why is he wearing it in your memory?" Harry asked, crossing his arms.

"How should I know?" Ginny suddenly shouted, making the boys jump. "Why won't you believe me, Harry? I gave you the memory!"

"Well, if the memory is true, then you won't have any problems telling it again under the influence of Veritaserum," Harry replied calmly. "That's what they are going to give you anyway in court during the trial."

Ginny paled and quieted down. She hadn't thought of that. If they made her swallow Veritaserum, she wouldn't be able to tell her lie. They would know she hadn't told the truth. She had thought she had made up the perfect plan - Harry was a Gryffindor true and true and would have believed her if she told him Malfoy had raped her. After all, Harry had only dated Malfoy for a few months; he had dated her for years. Surely he would have believed her over him? Then why did she have the feeling that everything was fallen apart?

"Draco, will you please take Teddy and Scorpius outside?" Harry asked in a neutral tone. "Ginny and I need to talk."

Quickly Draco took the boys by their hand and led them outside, closing the door behind him and making it soundproof in case Harry decided to start shouting.

"Draco, why was she showing that kind of memory?" Teddy asked, studying the man in front of him. "You would never do something like that to her, would you?"

Draco shook his head, pushing the boys slowly to the stairs. "Of course I would never do something like that to her – or to someone else. I can't even look at her, let alone touch her. This is just another filthy trick of her to steal your dad from me."

Teddy halted in the middle of the staircase. "But dad doesn't believe her, does he?" he asked uncertainly.

"No, thank Merlin, he finally realized who she really is," Draco smirked. "I would have loved to stay there and see her face when Harry confronts her."

* * *

"Ginny, why would you do such a thing?" Harry sighed and glared at her. "And don't dare to tell me you are telling the truth. Aside from Scorpius saying that Draco doesn't own that colour, I know he hasn't left the manor in days. He never visited you."

Ginny shot up, clenching her fists. "Because I love you! I want you back! Malfoy doesn't deserve you! All he did was hurting you during Hogwarts!" She gasped in anger.

"Maybe, but I decided to forgive him." Cold green eyes stared at her in contempt, making her shiver in fear. Harry had never looked at her that way before. "He wasn't the one who cheated on me with six men. He wasn't the one who was after my money and my fame. He sees the real me and not Harry Potter the hero."

"But I wasn't after your money or your fame! And I do see the real you!" Ginny protested. "Why can't you see that we're made for each other? Yes, I made mistakes in the past, but I swear to you that I'm sorry for them all. I love you with all my heart, Harry and I just want to make you happy. Don't you want more children?" she asked, knowing full well that Harry was a family man and loved children.

"Of course I want more children," Harry replied calmly, keeping a tight hold on his magic. It was itching to lash out at the woman in fury, hurting her for hurting him and Draco. He just barely managed to keep calm. How dare she claim she loved him while trying to accuse Draco of something that horrible? How dare she say she wanted to make him happy while she was the one who cheated on him?

"Then why don't you come back to me?" Ginny asked hopefully. "I'll give you as many children as you want!"

"I don't want to have children with you," Harry replied icily. "I want children with Draco."

Ginny laughed harshly. "Harry, dear, surely you realize that's impossible."

"Have you ever heard of pregnancy potions?" Harry shot back. Brown eyes widened in shock. "I can't believe that I never saw how you really were. Draco was right not to trust you. I gave you a second chance, believing that you had changed for the better and now you're pulling this kind of stunt? How sick are you? Do you realize that Draco wouldn't be able to get out of Azkaban alive if you went to court with your false accusation?" He balled his fists, his whole body trembling in fury.

Ginny sneered, her brown eyes turning ice cold in hate. "Of course I realized that! That was the whole fucking point!" she shouted furiously. "He doesn't deserve you! He should be locked up in Azkaban, just like his parents!"

Harry whipped out his wand, keeping it trained at her heart, making her freeze in her movement. "I'm going to give you one chance to get out of here and stay out of my life," he whispered dangerously. "I don't want to see your face ever again nor do I want to hear you. If you take that complaint to court, I'll make sure you'll live to regret that. If you try anything to hurt my family again, I'm going to make your miserable life a living hell."

For the first time Ginny finally understood why every Dark wizard thought twice before attacking Harry. She could easily see now how Harry had been able to defeat You-Know-Who. She swallowed, not ready to give up on her love just yet.

"But Harry, please …" she pleaded, reaching out with her hand.

"One minute, Weasley. I'm going to give you one minute to get out of this manor and to disappear from my life before I show just how many spells and curses I learnt during my Auror training," Harry warned her.

Feeling her heart break and finally realizing she would never have a chance with Harry again, having herself to blame for that, she ran out of the manor, her sight blurry with tears. She Apparated away, not caring where she would appear.

Harry breathed heavily, lowering his wand and sinking down on the armchair. He couldn't believe what just happened. Ginny had tried to accuse Draco of _rape_. She would have destroyed him. How could she have done that? Why hadn't he seen how far she had fallen? Had he been that naïve?

He looked up dazed when someone kneeled in front of him.

Draco cupped his face, looking at him concerned. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I told her to get out of the manor immediately. I forbade her from ever contacting me again." He breathed out slowly. "I'm so sorry for not believing you when you told me she couldn't be trusted."

"Don't worry about it; you couldn't have known that this would happen," Draco whispered. "She's a crazy bitch; nobody could have expected she would try something like that. I'm just happy that you believed me instead of her."

Harry grabbed the hands on his cheeks, smiling weakly. "What kind of lover would I be if I didn't believe you?" He sighed. "Just strengthen the wards against her in case she tries to come here again."

"Will do," Draco promised him.

"Is mean lady gone now?" Scorpius asked worriedly.

Harry sat up straight, beckoning Scorpius and Teddy over. "Yes, she's gone; she won't bother us ever again."

Draco sat down next to him, Scorpius climbed on his lap and Teddy crawled on the spot on his other side.

"She's gone for good?" Teddy asked for reassurance, not quite believing he was finally rid of Ginny.

Harry nodded and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Yes, she's gone for good. She won't ever come back again."

Teddy sighed relieved and cuddled closer to his dad.

Looking at the two boys snuggled against him and feeling Draco's embrace and the tender kiss in his neck, Harry finally knew what he could give Draco for Valentine's Day.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: fluff, lemon  
> Also I know that heights don't cause miscarriages, but I decided that male pregnancies were far more fragile and the height could present a potential danger to the Carrier because his magic has to work to keep everything functioning. If that makes sense.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 35**

The days following Ginny's departure out of his life, Harry spent thinking about his Valentine's present for Draco. He could just go out and tell Draco, but he wanted to do a bit more than that. But what could he add to his present? It had to be something he could manage to get in a few days, considering Valentine's Day was already in a few days.

Harry sighed and stared out of his window, his pencil tapping against the paper. He had gotten another rose today; a pink one this time, together with a poem about love and appreciation.

He smiled when he thought about his little gift. He didn't know how long Draco would keep getting him poems and roses, but he wasn't complaining.

Shaking his head, he threw his pencil down in frustration and raked his hands through his hair viciously. Merlin, he really sucked at getting presents. He had this problem every time there was a celebration; he would never know what to get for someone. Now he had a part of the present, but he wanted to add more to it, make it more special. But how would he do that?

A knock on his door distracted him and he lifted his head up from the desk, where he had been banging it against. "Yes?"

The door opened to reveal Teddy standing there, in a dark blue jeans and black sweater. Today his hair was a messy, dark blond and his eyes cerulean blue. "Dad, do you want to go flying with me?"

Harry blinked and smiled. Flying sounded pretty good at the moment. Flying had always cleared his mind; maybe he would get hit with an idea after the flying session.

"Sure, go get your broom."

Teddy grinned excitedly and ran to his room, barely able to wait to spend time with his dad.

Eleven minutes later they were standing in the huge garden, both dressed in thick coats, scarves and gloves, holding their broom tightly.

"All right, Teddy, you ready?" Harry grinned and gripped his broom tighter.

Teddy nodded excitedly and immediately jumped on his broom and shot up in the sky, his dad following him laughing.

For one brief moment Harry wondered from who Teddy had received his flying talent, because he couldn't remember Remus ever saying anything about Quidditch and Tonks being too clumsy to stay on a broom, but those thoughts were quickly chased away when he felt the cold wind hitting his face, the feeling of lightness overtaking him.

* * *

"And has he told you what his decision is?" Severus asked, dark eyes following his godson pacing in the office.

Draco sighed and stopped walking, choosing to lean against the wall, next to his desk. "No, the last time we spoke about the baby was when we discovered the pregnancy. He told me he needed time to think about it," he replied uneasily.

With each day that went by without hearing Harry's final decision about the baby, he got more and more anxious. What if Harry decided he didn't want to keep the baby? What did he have to do then? Could he hide his disappointment from his lover? Would he end up resenting Harry for taking his child away? Would they even have a chance as a couple after an abortion?

"Does he take his potions?" Severus continued. He didn't know how to console his godson. On one hand, he considered Draco incredibly stupid for even wanting the child so early in a relationship; on the other hand he knew how much Draco loved children. It was something that not many people knew about and Severus doubted that Potter knew about Draco's children wish. Severus himself didn't understand why Draco would love to have another child, when he had two other pests running around, causing havoc. But who was he to say anything about Draco's wishes? Although that this particular wish could potentially ruin his happiness and maybe even his relationship with Potter.

Draco nodded. "Yes, every morning. I'm always there and he takes them without complaining."

Severus raised an eyebrow. Potter took those potions without complaining? Well, that was a first. The man could remember Pomfrey complaining all the time about the boy refusing to swallow the potions.

"Yet, he still refuses to give you a decent reply?" he scoffed.

Draco scowled. "He just needs a bit more time. It's not something you decide in one day," he muttered and crossed his arms.

Severus sighed and rubbed his nose. He could feel a headache coming up. "Do you still want me to make more potions?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't you continue to make those potions?" Draco glared.

Severus wisely didn't tell him his opinion.

Draco narrowed his eyes, but turned to look out of the window, freezing up when he saw Harry flying high in the air with Teddy besides him. They were flying in hoops, zigzagging through the air.

Draco was shocked to see his lover flying. How could he do that? He was pregnant for Merlin's sake! Pregnant people were forbidden to fly! The height could cause a miscarriage.

Furiously he turned around. "That fucking idiot!" he hissed and stormed out of the room.

Severus raised an eyebrow and stood up to look out of the window. When he saw Potter flying, he sighed and shook his head. He knew Potter could be pretty stupid, but this stupid? That boy had reached a new height of stupidity.

* * *

"POTTER, GET YOUR ARSE DOWN HERE!" Draco yelled furiously, coming to a halt in the garden.

Harry started and looked down in shock. Teddy started too and almost lost his grip on his broom.

"Dad?" he asked nervously, never having seen Draco this furious. Why was he mad at his dad?

"Let's go down, Teddy. See what's wrong with Draco," Harry murmured, frowning.

They flew down, landing on the ground carefully. Harry eyed his lover warily, mentally asking himself what Draco's problem was.

"We need to talk now," Draco hissed, grabbing Harry's arm harshly and pulling him along. "Teddy, go play with Scorpius," he ordered the boy, who stood frozen.

"But …" Teddy asked hesitantly, wondering if he should help his dad out.

Harry waved. "Go, Teddy, we're just going to talk," he assured the boy who nodded slowly, still not certain if he should leave his dad alone with a furious Draco.

Draco kept dragging Harry with him through the manor, until they arrived in their shared bedroom. He pushed him inside and closed the door, casting a Silencing spell on it. Their sons didn't need to hear this.

"What's wrong now?" Harry asked impatiently, placing his broom against the wall.

"What's wrong? You dare to ask what the fuck is wrong now?" Draco laughed harshly, raking his hand through his hair in distress, messing it up thoroughly.

Harry frowned and his hands started to fiddle with his sleeves in uncertainty. Draco never messed up his hair. The only times he allowed Harry to do that, was when they were having sex. There must be something seriously wrong with him if he was messing up his hair like that.

"Draco?" he asked warily, jumping a bit when glittering, grey eyes were locked on his in fury.

"You were flying," Draco hissed through clenched teeth.

"Well yeah, Teddy wanted to fly and asked me to join him," Harry replied confused, leaning on his desk.

"Seriously, Harry, you really don't see the problem here?" Draco asked incredulously.

Shaking his head slowly, Harry bit his lip. "No, so why don't you elaborate a bit so that I can follow you?"

"Fuck, Harry, you're pregnant!" Draco clenched his hands, itching to lash out. "You're not supposed to fly now!"

"Why the hell not?" Harry protested. "What has my being pregnant anything to do with not flying?"

"Flying when you're pregnant can cause a miscarriage, you idiot!" Draco snapped. "How the hell could you have not known that?"

"What? Why would flying cause a miscarriage?" Harry asked shocked. He hadn't expected to hear that. Could he really have hurt his baby with flying? Guilt rose up; he hadn't wanted to harm his baby, he just had wanted to spend some time with Teddy. Flying had sounded so harmless.

"Because the height could cause you to miscarriage!" Draco answered frustrated. "Are you telling me that you never thought of that possibility?"

"No, I'm sorry, Draco, I really didn't know that," Harry replied in a small voice. If he had known that before, he would have said no to Teddy and requested they did something else.

Draco searched his face for any sign of lying, but relaxed when he saw that his lover told the truth. He really hadn't known flying could cause him to lose the baby. He hadn't done it on purpose.

He walked over to Harry and pulled him in his arms, resting his head on Harry's shoulder, rubbing his back. "Well, now you do. Merlin, don't ever scare me like that again!" he scolded.

He was surprised when he felt Harry hitting his chest and he winced; damn it, but Harry could pack a punch. He pulled back enough to look at the dark haired man's face, but didn't let him go.

Harry was looking at him angrily, frowning. "You could have told me that earlier! How was I supposed to know what's bad for the baby if you don't tell me those things?" he scolded and hit the blond man again.

Draco grabbed the fists, preventing him from getting hit again. He didn't want more bruises. "Because I thought you would have known that at least. I thought it was bloody obvious." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, it wasn't! And did you really have to shout like a lunatic? You scared the hell out of Teddy," Harry snapped, struggling to get free.

"I'll apologize to him later," Draco sighed, kissing Harry's forehead. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, but you had me worried."

"God, you can be such an idiot." Harry's voice was muffled due to him pressing his face against Draco's chest.

"Stupidity can be contagious," Draco chuckled, laughing when Harry hit him again.

Their lips found each other and tongues slipped out, stroking and caressing the other one. Draco smirked when he heard Harry moaning and his hands made their way underneath Harry's coat, slipping underneath the sweater to caress his back.

Harry arched into the touch and brought his arms around Draco's neck, bringing him closer.

Just when Draco was about to open the coat, Harry pulled back, panting a bit.

"Go apologize to Teddy," he ordered, releasing Draco.

Draco pouted. "Can't it wait for another half hour? Because I have another idea how we can spend our time," he replied suggestively, pushing his hard prick against Harry's hips, letting him know exactly how much he wanted him.

Harry shook his head. "No, you go apologize to Teddy now or it will be a long time before you get any," he threatened, wiggling his way out of the tight grasp.

Grey eyes narrowed. "Fine, I'll apologize. But when I come back, you better have that amazing arse naked on the bed," he huffed and turned around, exiting the room.

Harry laughed and shook his head. Merlin, but he had a perverted lover. Ah well, he couldn't possibly refuse an order like that, now could he?

He smirked and removed his coat, his clothes soon following him. He climbed into bed, leaning on his right arm, waiting for Draco to come back.

* * *

It was later in the evening when Harry was putting Scorpius to bed that he got the idea to add to his present. And he had the little boy to thank for that.

Harry was leaning with his back against the headboard with Scorpius snuggled against him, happily listening to his daddy reading for him from a book.

It was a tale about a family: a mother, a father and a girl. The mother was expecting a baby and the little girl did everything to help her out. At one point, Harry got at the part where they were setting up the nursery. He wanted to read further, after having described the nursery, but was interrupted by Scorpius.

"Daddy, what's a nusery?" he asked with wide eyes.

Harry blinked, but smiled. "A nursery is the place where the baby stays when it's born. In the nursery there are his bed, his clothes and toys and everything else a baby needs."

"Oh." Scorpius stared at Harry who raised his eyebrow.

"Is there something else, Scorpius?"

"So, will you and papa make a nursery when you get a baby?" Scorpius asked curiously, still not having let go of the idea of another sibling.

"Eh, I guess we will, yeah," Harry smiled softly, before turning back to the story. He was reading on auto-pilot now, mulling over what Scorpius had said. _A nursery_. That would be the perfect gift for Draco.

He resolved himself to check some magazines and order furniture for the nursery. If he ordered it anonymously, there was no way the public would find out about his pregnancy so soon. Harry was realistic enough to realize that he couldn't stay in the manor for the whole pregnancy, but he wanted to put the news off as long as possible.

He liked his privacy after all.

* * *

The next day, Harry had received another rose; this time an orange one and when he read the poem with the meaning of the rose, he couldn't keep his blush off of his face for the whole morning. Draco of course couldn't help but tease him about it whenever he saw him.

Once Harry had made sure Draco was occupied with his work and the two boys were busy following their lessons with Snape, he managed to secure some magazines about nurseries in one of the rooms he had been snooping around in a couple of weeks ago. Harry could only assume the magazines had been of Daphne, when she was pregnant with Scorpius.

Now Harry could have used her help with selecting a nursery – after all she had done this before – but one, he didn't know how to contact her and two, he really didn't want her to know about the baby so soon. Besides knowing her, she would probably tell Draco about his plans, just to tease him.

Harry shook his head amused and continued to leave through the magazines, jotting down the prizes of the furniture he liked. After two hours – of which he also spent making sure nobody interrupted him – he finally had found the perfect furniture. Now all he had to do was sending his order and ask for a quick delivery. That shouldn't be a problem, because the add said they could deliver the furniture in twenty four hours.

After a bit thinking, he decided to pick up the furniture himself. He couldn't risk Draco knowing about it before he was ready to reveal the present.

So, three hours later, he casted a Disguise charm over him, altering his looks. He had now light brown hair with dark brown eyes and his scar was – thankfully – hidden underneath his hair.

He managed to sneak out of the manor without anyone the wiser, knowing full well that he would get scolded by his lover and his two sons for leaving on his own and without telling anyone. But if he made sure to be back as quick as he could, then no one would ever notice he was gone in the first place.

* * *

When Draco entered the bedroom one hour and a half later, he found Harry sitting cross legged on the bed, leaning against the wall, listening to the chatter of Scorpius and Teddy.

He smirked and joined his little family on the bed. Harry glanced at him and gave him a soft smile before turning his attention back to the boys in front of him.

Draco smiled and snuck his arm behind Harry's back, rubbing it softly.

He could get used to this serene scene.

* * *

_14th of February_

When Harry woke up on Valentine's Day, he was met with a red rose on his pillow. He stretched slowly, enjoying the feeling of having his muscles stretched after sleeping in the same position all night long. His reward for snuggling up in Draco's arms.

Chuckling, he picked up the red rose, taking a deep breath, his eyes lightening up at the sweet aroma of the flower.

Placing the flower with all the other ones, he stood up and made his way to the bathroom to take a relaxing shower before he went out and searched for his lover, all the while wondering when it would be the perfect time to show Draco his present.

* * *

While Harry was busy with taking a shower, Draco was downstairs in the dining room, enjoying breakfast. Scorpius and Teddy were sitting on either side of him, busy with their own breakfast. Both were still slightly drowsy, but they were awake enough to not spill anything on their clothes or on the table.

"Papa, do you have a present for daddy?" Scorpius asked, grinning, stabbing into the small pieces of his cut up pancakes, having covered it completely in chocolate.

Teddy looked up too, curious to hear Draco's answer. He had asked his dad whether he had a present for Draco and his dad had blushed – surprising Teddy – and had mumbled a quick yes before urging the boy to tell more about his day.

Teddy couldn't help but think that his dad was keeping something from him. He didn't want to be suspicious of his own dad and he knew he could trust his dad not to lie to him, but for the last couple of weeks Harry had been quite distracted. It wasn't uncommon for Teddy to repeat a question three times before dad finally answered. The last few days his dad had been smiling secretly, refusing to tell Teddy what he was thinking about when the boy asked him what was on his mind.

If there was something wrong, his dad would tell him, right?

Draco smirked, taking a sip from his coffee. "Of course I have a present for your daddy."

Scorpius widened his eyes and leant over the table, attempting to get closer to his papa. "Do you want to be alone with daddy tonight?" he whispered in a conspiracy tone.

He remembered his papa having a private night with his mummy when it was Valentine's Day, so he automatically assumed that now papa was together with daddy, he would want to be alone with him too.

Draco blinked, finding his son's idea very appealing. If he was alone with Harry, with no distractions of their sons, it would be a perfect night …

"Would you mind sleeping over at Uncle Sev's house?" he suggested, smirking. Any other moment he would feel a bit guilty for dumping the two boys with Severus, but this evening was all about him and Harry.

Scorpius immediately shook his head grinning; knowing his papa would make his daddy happy. Teddy was a bit more reluctant, not certain whether he wanted to leave his dad alone. But Draco would stay with his dad, so he guessed there would be no problems.

"Okay, when do we leave?" he asked softly and wondered if the strict man would mind them sleeping over. He had a feeling that the man didn't like company very much.

"As soon as I have contacted Severus, I'll let you know," Draco grinned.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Harry's voice surprised them all.

They turned around and Harry came over to them, his wet hair dripping a bit.

"Oh, nothing," Draco smiled and grabbed Harry's neck, pulling him down to kiss him full on his lips. "Happy Valentine's Day, babe."

Harry's face reddened at the new nickname and he glanced at the two boys who were snickering quietly. He rolled his eyes and sat down. "Happy Valentine's Day too." He couldn't help but smile.

"Happy Valentine's Day, daddy," Scorpius grinned and climbed off his chair and toddled over to his daddy, giving him a big hug. "Me and Teddy are going to sleep over at Uncle Sev's," he informed him excitedly.

Harry looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, is that true?"

"Yeah, it was Scorpius' idea!" Draco quickly put the blame on his son in case Harry decided to get angry for that idea.

Teddy snickered, clamping both hands around his cup of hot chocolate.

Harry snorted and looked at the beaming, blond boy. "Well, that was a smart idea; thank you, Scorpius," he cooed and kissed him on his forehead.

Draco gaped and pouted. Well, he hadn't seen that one coming.

Harry looked up and couldn't help but burst out in laughing when he saw Draco's disgruntled face at missing a chance on a kiss.

* * *

After having a fierce discussion with Severus for more than two hours in which Draco pleaded, begged and ultimately threatened him, Severus finally agreed to have the boys over for one night. Of course he could hardly say no when Draco reminded him that he knew exactly how much effort he had put in collecting those memories for Harry and whether Severus wanted Harry to know exactly how much he cared for him?

Severus cursed the day he agreed to be that brat's godfather.

They brought the boys over at four p.m. after having played games with them the whole day to compensate for the fact they had to sleep over somewhere else.

* * *

After coming back from Snape manor, they had decided to have an early dinner first.

They were seated at the table, enjoying their glasses with champagne and the delicious food that the house elves served, while chattering about everything that came up in their mind. However underneath the light-hearted chatter, nervousness could be found in both men. Both were wondering whether their present would be liked or should they have gotten something else for their lover?

They had just finished their dessert, when Draco opened his mouth to start. He was interrupted however by Harry who suddenly stood up, a nervous look on his face.

"Eh, I want to give my present now if that's not a problem?" he laughed nervously, raking a hand through his hair.

"No, not a problem at all," Draco smiled reassuringly.

"Good, eh, you have to follow me for your present. It's in another room," Harry smiled and grabbed Draco's hand, leading him out of the dining room, up the stairs.

Draco raised an eyebrow, but followed him without any protest, curious as to what could be possibly his present.

They continued walking for more than six minutes, until they finally came to a stop in front of a white door.

"Close your eyes, don't dare to peek," Harry ordered him and after giving him a bemused look, Draco did what he was told, closing his eyes, trusting Harry to guide him forward.

He heard the door open and Harry tugged at his hand, leading him inside the room.

"Can I open my eyes?"

"No, not yet. Wait until I say so," Harry replied.

For the next two minutes, he heard nothing but the faint sound of rustling of clothes and he furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what exactly Harry was doing.

"All right, you can open your eyes now." He heard Harry saying and he sounded incredibly nervous now. It wouldn't surprise Draco if he had started to tremble.

Grey eyes opened and when he finally took in the sight, he gasped softly, a tender and dazed smile appearing on his face.

They were standing in the middle of a nursery. There was a tiny, white bed placed against the wall, the window across from it. A white closet stood on the opposite of it. The walls were painted a soft green and on the bed was a small teddy bear with a heart between his paws.

Harry himself was standing in front of the bed, wearing the green maternity shirt that Draco had bought for him weeks ago. He was blushing furiously, but was smiling too.

Slowly Draco walked over to him, coming to a hold when he was only a few inches away from the man.

"Do you really want to keep the baby? Or am I just dreaming?" Draco asked, daring to hope that yes, this was all true and yes, Harry wanted to keep the baby.

Harry's smile widened and he gripped one of Draco's hands tightly, directing it to his stomach before gripping his neck to give him a passionate kiss. "Yes, I want to keep the baby," he whispered against his lips. "I'm sorry for taking so long to give you an answer. I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course I can forgive you! Merlin, Harry, I'm … God, you made me the happiest man alive!" Draco swore and kissed him harder, gripping his waist carefully, bringing him close to his body. "So fucking happy right now," he murmured, taking a deep breath before continuing to kiss Harry, only stopping when they really needed to get some air.

"Good, because I couldn't think of anything else to get you as a present," Harry laughed sheepishly.

"This was the best present I ever got," Draco told him, caressing his cheek.

Emerald green eyes sparkled in delight and shyness and they both couldn't keep their smiles of their faces.

"Now it's time for my present," Draco murmured against his lips and then released Harry, stepping back slightly. He slowly slid down on one knee and Harry gaped. _No, he wouldn't … Would he really …? Was this really happening?_

"So I've never done this before, but there is a first time for everything, right?" Draco chuckled nervously, but didn't give Harry the chance to reply. He pulled the little box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a ring made of gold. It was a simple one - gold with one red and one green small diamond on top of it. Nothing too extravagant, just simple. Simple but perfect. "Harry, I want to come home every day to you greeting me with our sons and our baby and being able to greet you when you come home. I want to be able to cheer you up whenever you are down, kissing you every morning before either you or I leave for work, then kissing you goodnight. I want to love you like you deserve to be loved; I want to give you everything you ever wanted. You make me happy every day by just being here and I don't ever want to separate from you. Until you are ready we will just be engaged, but I want everyone to know that one day you, hopefully, will become my husband. Harry James Potter, will you do me the honour of marrying me and making me the happiest man on this world?"

Draco took a deep breath after his speech ended and looked at Harry hopefully. Until just a few moments ago, he hadn't known how to propose Harry, but seeing him here in the nursery, filled with the stuff of their future son or daughter, the words had just come tumbling out, pouring straight from his heart. He gave his heart, soul and body to the man in front of him and if he was lucky, Harry would accept all of him, giving himself in return.

When the silence dragged on for more than a minute, Draco felt his nervousness and his anxiety increase, but he didn't leave his spot.

* * *

Harry didn't know how to react. In all his dreams, he had never thought that this day would come, that Draco Malfoy would be proposing to him. It felt so unreal. Something that only happened in fairy tales. But this was no fairy tale and Draco was still seated on one knee in front of him, waiting for his answer. Harry thought carefully. On one hand it was soon; they had only had a relationship for a few months, but on the other hand, he couldn't envision his life without Draco anymore. Draco had been through more with him in the few months they had started their relationship, than Ginny had been in all those years they had been together.

He was kind, patient, passionate, smart, fiery, was amazing with the boys … The perfect partner. The perfect husband.

Harry would probably take a huge risk if he said yes; after all, there was no guarantee that they would work out in the end, but he had enough of thinking everything through. For this time he would follow his heart instead of his mind. For this time he would do something that would make _him_ happy, instead of constantly worrying about the feelings of other people.

Harry sunk to his knees and embraced Draco, kissing him softly on his mouth. "Yes, I would love to marry you," he breathed out, a few tears escaping his eyes.

Draco looked up in shock and then his face beamed with happiness, so much that Harry had to blink a bit at the sight of it. He was startled to see a few teardrops making their way over Draco's cheeks and brushed them off.

"You, Harry Potter, just made me the luckiest and happiest man alive," Draco murmured, slipping the ring on his finger, kissing him back.

"I could say the same to you," Harry smiled, pressing his body closer to his fiancé. _His fiancé_. He felt giddy at the thought and his kisses turned more enthusiastic, more passionate, filling them both with a fierce fire, convening their love for each other.

"I want you," Draco panted, gripping him around the waist, his hands straying underneath the maternity shirt, brushing against his stomach where their child was resting. His hands caressed the soft skin, occasionally brushing higher, making Harry shiver.

"I'm yours," Harry murmured back, his hands trailing through the soft, silken, blond hair of Draco. He wondered in the back of his mind whether their child would have Draco's hair.

They didn't know how they managed it, but somehow they got to their own bedroom, stumbling into the bed, hands making their way over two heated bodies, removing clothes when they reached them and throwing them on the floor.

Soon their kisses grew sloppier, their panting harder. Draco trailed his lips over Harry's delectable neck, making his way over his tanned chest, paying special attention to his nipples until they were hard and red from the sucking they had to endure.

Harry mewled and moaned, encouraging Draco to do more, _more, more_. He shouldn't stop, he should go on, making the fire hotter, making it burn more.

When Draco reached his stomach, he couldn't help but softly kiss it, placing both his hands over the place where his son or daughter was hidden from him.

"You really make me the happiest man alive," he muttered against the sweaty, heated skin, giving it a few more kisses before slowly pushing Harry's legs open, noticing how perfectly he fit in between them.

"Ah, Draco, more please," Harry begged, his hands twisting the sheets underneath his body, his body trembling with desire for the man on top of him.

While Draco was teasing and distracting his lover by sucking his hard cock slowly, he set on preparing Harry, slowly stretching him more and more, adding more fingers as soon as he was sure Harry could take it. He could feel Harry relaxing around him, drawing his fingers in deeper. A few tries later, and Draco stroked his prostate, making the man underneath him trash and scream, his senses in overload from all the different kinds of sensation.

"Dr – Draco, I wan – want more, need you in me now," Harry panted, coming up on his elbows and looked down into smoldering, grey eyes.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked concerned, not wanting to hurt his future husband.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure. Come on, I need you in me now," Harry pleaded, hands shooting out to pull Draco up on top of him, kissing him desperately.

Quickly Draco stroked his hard prick until it was wet with lube and then placed himself at Harry's stretched entrance, once more looking at Harry for confirmation.

A nod was all he needed and soon he began to push in him, stretching him even more.

Nails ranked down his back, leaving red trails in their path while tanned legs went up to wrap around his waist.

Finally Draco was sheeted completely inside of Harry and he halted, trembling and his eyes nearly rolling back in their sockets from the wonderful, fantastic heat he felt surrounded with.

A nibble on his ear brought his attention back to Harry.

"Move, please, Draco," Harry breathed out, his breath hitching when he felt Draco pulling back ever so slowly, teasing him before pushing back inside him, creating a wonderful rhythm.

This time it wasn't quick, it wasn't hard. And that was fine. It was a slow lovemaking filled with love and tenderness.

Happiness shone from both their eyes and they kept sharing kisses while murmuring sweet nothings in each other's ears.

"Draco, I love you so much," Harry whispered breathlessly, his eyes closing against the onslaught of pleasure he was receiving.

"I love you too," Draco panted and his hand sneaked between their joined bodies to stroke Harry, giving him even more pleasure.

His other hand found one of Harry's and their fingers intertwined, their mouths found each other again and without any warning they both exploded, crying out in each other's mouth, swallowing up their screams.

Their bodies shook with the power of their orgasm, white filling their vision before they settled down again.

Slowly and carefully Draco pulled out, lying down besides Harry, pulling him into his arms, tucking his head underneath his chin. His hand found Harry's stomach and he curled around it, feeling Harry's hand covering his.

They both shared a tender smile before falling into a blissful sleep.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: a bit of drama
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 36**

It was the feeling of warm hands caressing his stomach that woke Harry up the next morning. He blinked sleepily, trying to get his foggy, clouded with sleep brain to wake up and work. Rubbing his hand in his eyes, he finally caught sight of something faintly sparkling around one of his fingers. Frowning, he looked closer at it and his mouth fell open when he finally remembered everything that had happened last night. He had told Draco he wanted to keep the baby and Draco had proposed to him.

He was engaged to Draco.

_Draco was his fiancé._

The giddy feeling rose up again and he smiled happily.

Draco was looking at Harry thoroughly amused. Harry was very entertaining this morning. If he had to be honest, he had to admit that he had been scared Harry would have had second thoughts about their engagement. Seeing him smiling however erased his fears; Harry still wanted to marry him. No second thoughts.

A pale hand gripped the tanned one with the ring and their fingers intertwined. "That ring looks good on you," Draco murmured smiling and bent down to place a soft kiss on the red, inviting lips.

"Hm, we need a ring for you too," Harry smiled back, returning the kiss.

Draco chuckled. "Don't worry, I bought the matching one too. It's waiting in my study."

"Why didn't you put yours on yesterday?" Harry asked curiously, his fingers absentmindedly drawing circles on Draco's chest.

Draco looked away, cheekbones tinted pink with embarrassment. "Because I didn't know for sure you would say yes," he muttered.

Harry blinked and chuckled, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "For all the arrogance you display, it's very surprising to see you insecure. I guess Malfoys can be insecure too."

"Shut up," Draco huffed, making Harry laugh.

Draco pouted, but soon chuckled too.

Eventually their laughter stopped, leaving them in peaceful silence.

Draco manoeuvred them both so that he was lying on his back, Harry on top of him, his head on his chest and their legs tangled together underneath the blankets.

Draco started caressing Harry's back, making the man purr.

"So when are we going to tell the boys the good news?" Draco broke the silence, staring at the ceiling.

Harry moved a bit and replied, "They are going to notice my ring as soon as they are home, so we can tell them today."

Draco bit on his lower lip before releasing it. "And when are we going to tell them about the baby?" he asked softly, not wanting to destroy the peace. He gave the choice to Harry, not wanting to push the man.

It was silent for a couple of minutes and Draco became restless. _Why didn't Harry answer? Was he mad now?_ One glance downwards reassured him; Harry was staring at the opposite wall with a pensive look. He was thinking about it, not getting mad. That was a relief.

"I want to wait for a few weeks more. Then we can tell them," Harry finally answered calmly.

"Why a few weeks?" Draco asked curiously, but was inwardly very happy that he only had to wait a few more weeks until he could tell Teddy and Scorpius that they would getting a sibling. He had a feeling Scorpius would be overjoyed.

"To make sure the baby stays safe. Is that all right?" Harry looked up at him.

Draco smiled and tightened his grip. "No problem."

They stayed in the bed for another hour before deciding it was time to get up and get the boys – before Severus went mad.

They dressed after having taken a quick shower and went downstairs where the house elves were busy with preparing breakfast.

"You stay here while I'll go and get Teddy and Scorpius," Draco told him while walking to the fireplace.

Harry frowned. "Why do I need to stay here?"

"Because Severus has a very bad temper in the morning and dealing with two boys won't help improving his mood," Draco replied drily, making Harry chuckle. "And I don't want you to experience that."

"When is that man in a good mood?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.

"Good point," Draco smirked and pecked Harry's lips. "Be right back."

Harry shook his head amused and after having watched Draco disappearing through the Floo, he made his way to breakfast, feeling extremely hungry.

* * *

Draco landed on a carpeted floor and heard a muffled shout from somewhere downstairs. He shook his head in exasperation and decided it was time to save the boys from a future trauma.

He concentrated on the muffled voices and followed them, coming to a stop in front of a dark wooden door. The living room.

Two little heads shot up quickly when they heard the door open and Scorpius squealed in delight when he saw his papa standing in the doorway.

"Papa!" He jumped off the couch and ran to him, arms stretching out, wanting a hug after being separated for a night.

Draco complied and bent down to pick up his son, settling him on his hip.

Teddy had stayed on the couch, only now looking up from his book.

"Have you two been good?" Draco smiled.

Severus glared. "My house is still in one piece," he replied stiffly.

"That's good," Draco smirked and placed Scorpius back on the ground. "It's time for you to pack your stuff, boys. Daddy is waiting at home."

Scorpius beamed and immediately ran to his room, Teddy following him at a calmer pace, though he was excited to go back too. He had missed his dad very much and hadn't stopped worrying about him all night, even though he knew dad was safe.

"How did your Valentine's Day go?" Severus' lip curled up in disgust from uttering the name of that meaningless and idiotic holiday and brought his cup of strong, black coffee to his mouth, inhaling the delicious aroma of burnt coffee beans.

"Fantastic! Harry agreed to marry me and we're keeping the baby," Draco informed him, beaming with joy.

Severus, who had just taken a sip of his warm beverage, coughed and spluttered, almost chocking in his coffee from shock. "You what?" he finally asked in a scratchy voice, thinking his ears had deceived him.

"I'm going to marry Harry and we're keeping the baby," Draco repeated with a beaming face.

Onyx black eyes stared at him in disbelief. "Please tell me you're joking," he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Draco frowned. "Why would I be joking?"

"Don't you think it's a bit too soon to think of marriage already?" Severus pressed, wondering when he had become Draco's voice of reason.

"Well, yes, if we were strangers, but we know each other very well. I dare say I know more of him than his so called friends ever did," Draco replied and crossed his arms.

Severus opened his mouth to reason with him, try to make him see sense before he did something stupid, but realized very quickly that Draco would not be convinced this time. He recognized the stubborn glint in Draco's grey eyes – so much like his father's – and knew that any objection and valid reason why marriage was a bad idea now, would just go in one ear and go out the other.

_Well, he is an adult now. If he wants to make mistakes, it is his life_ , he thought sourly. He had to let go of his godson sooner or later – he couldn't keep standing on the side line, telling Draco what to do and what not.

_He is an adult now_ , he reminded himself and sighed. "If you are sure about this, then I suppose congratulations are in order."

Draco smiled and Severus was struck by how happy the man looked now. Maybe Potter was good for something. Maybe.

Severus scowled. "Tell your fiancé that the antidote is ready to be used."

Draco nodded. "He'll be happy to hear that."

Severus hmph'd and scowled harder.

No sooner had they ended their conversation and Scorpius came running back in the room, his backpack bouncing on his back, Teddy following him with his black blue bag in his hand.

"We're ready to go, Draco," Teddy said calmly, his light blue – almost mint green – eyes sparkling in the weak sunlight shining through a small window.

"Thank Uncle Sev for allowing you to stay the night and say good bye to him," Draco ordered them.

Teddy and Scorpius did what they were told to and afterwards they followed Draco to Severus' office, stepping beside him in the fireplace and holding his hand.

* * *

Harry looked up from his plate with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon when he heard the Floo activate and he smiled when he heard Teddy asking where he was. Merlin, but he had missed his two sons.

"I'm in the dining room, sweetie!" he yelled and heard three pair of feet coming to him. He turned to face the door and opened his arms to hug the two boys who came running to him.

"We missed you, daddy," Scorpius chirped and lovingly rubbed his head against Harry's shoulder.

"I missed you too, sweeties," Harry smiled and kissed them both on their forehead. He looked up at Draco who was standing a few feet behind the boys. "Was he moody?"

Draco rolled his eyes and came to sit across from Harry, urging the boys to take a seat too and eat breakfast. Scorpius sat on Harry's right side and Teddy on his left.

"Of course he was moody. Have you ever seen that man in a good mood?" Draco snorted and shook his head.

"Well, no, but maybe he was different with you?" Harry shrugged.

"Sev doesn't change for anyone," Draco smiled wryly. "Oh yes, he told me that the antidote is ready."

"That's amazing news! I'll write to some colleagues and tell them they can pick it up here – if you don't mind that, of course," Harry said hastily.

"No problem – it's better than having you outside," Draco murmured.

Harry bit back his lashing retort, not wanting to ruin the happy mood. He would have a word with Draco later about his overprotectiveness. He couldn't possibly stay inside for the rest of his life.

"Daddy, do you want to know what Teddy and me did yesterday?" Scorpius asked excitedly and bounced with his legs, swinging them hard.

"I'd love to hear what you did last night, sweetie," Harry smiled encouragingly.

Immediately, Scorpius launched into a story where he and Teddy built a castle with blocks and played with it.

* * *

It wasn't until Teddy saw something sparkling in the light whenever Harry lifted his left hand that the young boy realized that something was wrong. Without thinking, he grabbed Harry's hand and hold it still, staring at the golden ring, glittering innocently.

A funny feeling – something like anxiety – made his stomach turn unpleasantly. Why was his dad wearing a ring all of a sudden? Teddy was sure his hand had been bare yesterday. He glanced at Draco's hands and saw a golden ring on his hand too. What was going on here?

"Teddy?"

He looked at his dad and saw him looking at him in a rather apprehensive way. Only then did Teddy notice that Scorpius had stopped talking and that he and Draco were looking at him curiously.

"Why are you wearing a ring, dad?" Teddy asked, tightening his grip unconsciously. He narrowed his eyes when he saw a blush rising on his dad's face. Looking at Draco, he saw the man smirking, but at the same time looking proud.

"Daddy?" Scorpius looked at Harry with wide eyes, curious as to why daddy was blushing so much and why his papa was smiling so widely.

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, eh, Teddy, Scorpius, there's something your papa and I have to tell you," he smiled shyly.

"Your daddy and I are going to marry," Draco announced proudly and his grin got even wider.

Scorpius immediately began to squeal and bounce up and down on his chair in excitement, clapping his hands, before jumping off and toddling over to his papa first and then to his daddy to give them a big hug.

"Really, daddy? You really going to marry papa?" Scorpius asked; his big grey eyes full of adoration.

Harry laughed. "Yes, I'm really going to marry your papa."

While Scorpius was busy with squealing from happiness and jumping up and down, Teddy was looking at the adults in shock.

Never had he expected his dad to marry Draco so soon. Of course he remembered telling Draco that he wouldn't mind it if he married his dad, but he had thought it would be at least two to three more years before Draco would propose. Had he been planning this all along and had he just waited to have Teddy's permission?

What really shocked Teddy the most was that his dad had obviously said yes. When he had been together with Ginny, he had never mentioned marrying her once and he had been together with her for years. Draco asked him after a few months and he said yes. That obviously meant he loved Draco very much.

Teddy bit on his lip, not knowing how he should react. On one hand, he was happy that his dad was happy – he was practically glowing with joy – but on the other hand, he was kind of sad too. It was ridiculous, but he felt like he was losing his dad to Draco. He knew it was stupid to think like that; his dad still loved him and it wasn't like he would get rid of him once he married Draco, but all the same …

He started when he felt two warm hands gripping his own and he stared right into worried, emerald green eyes.

"Teddy, what do you think of it?" Dad asked him softly.

Teddy was suddenly reminded of a similar scene months ago, when dad had asked him if he would mind him dating Draco. Like then, he knew that his answer would decide what his dad would do. If he said he didn't like the thought of his dad marrying Draco, dad would put the marriage off until Teddy felt more comfortable with it. The fact that his dad obviously cared much about his opinion and thus wouldn't get rid of him, warmed Teddy and he smiled faintly. If marrying Draco would make his dad happy, then he was happy for his dad. Besides, Draco wasn't that bad to have as a stepfather.

"I'm happy for you, dad," Teddy whispered and hugged his dad tightly, burying his face in a warm, strong shoulder.

"Thank you, Teddy," his dad whispered and hugged him tightly.

Still Teddy couldn't shake the feeling that his dad kept something else from him. But that was ridiculous right? Marriage was the only surprise his dad could have. Yes, he was being silly worrying that his dad was keeping something from him.

* * *

"That went well, don't you think?" Draco murmured in Harry's ear, slipping his arms around Harry's waist from behind. He placed his head on Harry's shoulder and looked through the window at Teddy and Scorpius who were playing with the bit of snow that was still left.

Harry smiled and placed his hands over Draco's. "Yes, I'm glad that Teddy took it so well. I was afraid he wouldn't like the thought of me marrying you," he confessed sheepishly.

Draco chuckled. "Well, I did ask him if he would like it if I would marry you one day."

"Oh?" Harry raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder in mischievous, grey eyes. "When did you do that?"

"When you were gone," Draco muttered, not wanting to remember that particular time. "I went to talk with him and we went from reassuring him you would return to me marrying you one day and whether he would be okay with that."

Harry laughed surprised. "Interesting turn in a conversation. What did he tell you?"

"He said that he wouldn't mind it; that he liked me better than Weasley," Draco smirked.

"Yeah, he never got along with her," Harry sighed.

"Smart boy."

A smack on his arms was his reply.

* * *

Two days later, Harry had contacted a few of his former colleagues and they were rather eager to accept the antidote. It had been an awkward moment trying to explain how he exactly had come up with the antidote. Finally he just told them that he had a friend who was a Potions Master and he had been helping Harry with the case.

When they had gathered the vials with the antidote, together with the recipe (because Snape refused to make more than was required), they had made Harry promise to thank the Potions Master for them.

Harry would have loved to give Snape the credit he clearly deserved, but he knew that if he even mentioned his name, the Ministry wouldn't stop until they had found him and had put him on a trial. Harry stayed by his opinion - Snape had done a lot for the Light side, he deserved peace and quiet now. Besides he had to grudgingly admit that Snape wasn't _that_ bad – if you got used to the sarcastic comments that is.

* * *

_18th of February_

On the day of his appointment, Harry woke up to the feeling of soft kisses being pressed on his stomach. He stretched and chuckled when Draco's head appeared from beneath the sheets, his blond hair thoroughly messed up.

"What were you doing?" Harry smiled and eagerly accepted the kiss that Draco gave him.

Draco settled next to him, his arms still around Harry's waist, caressing his stomach. "I was saying good morning to our baby," he answered, shrugging.

"You do know that it will be a while before I start showing, right?" Harry raised an eyebrow amused.

"So? It's not a crime to say good morning to our baby. Although I can't wait until you really start showing," Draco mused grinning.

Harry eyed him warily. "You're probably going to be one of those that won't be able to keep their hands of their partner's stomach, right?"

"It's not my fault that you'll look cute with a round belly," Draco grinned, kissing him hard on his mouth.

Harry scowled and pinched Draco's arm harshly, making the poor blond yelp and rub the abused spot. "Don't ever call me cute again," he huffed.

"That was indeed not very cute," Draco murmured, looking pained.

Harry smirked. "Good."

When he wanted to get up, two strong arms hold him back and a mouth began to suck in his neck.

Harry groaned softly. "Draco, not now. I have to get up for my appointment."

"I'm sure we still have some time," Draco whispered before pushing Harry back on the bed, settling himself between his spread legs.

"Ah, fuck it," Harry sighed and gave in, spreading his legs more.

Draco smirked. "I'm planning to do that."

* * *

Half an hour later, Harry fell back on his back sweating and panting, Draco falling softly on top of him, burying his face in Harry's shoulder.

"Merlin, that was hot," Harry murmured breathlessly; dazed, green eyes staring at the ceiling, feeling his heartbeat slow down.

Draco grinned and fell down on the bed next to him, raking a hand through his sweaty hair. "Told you I would make it worth your time," he murmured and kissed Harry's cheek.

"You're unbelievable sometimes," Harry sighed, but smiled satisfied.

"Ah, but you enjoyed it, right?" Draco chuckled.

"How could I not have enjoyed it?" Harry murmured, blushing.

Draco smirked and traced patterns on Harry's arm.

"Now I really have to go," Harry murmured and sat up.

"I don't know if Severus will be up to babysitting again." Draco winced at the thought of asking his godfather again. He was feeling sorry for the old man. He was probably driven crazy by babysitting Teddy and Scorpius so much. Scorpius wasn't a bad boy per se, but he could be a …handful sometimes.

"Snape won't be the one babysitting." Harry frowned. "I feel bad for placing them with Snape every time we go away."

"Are we going to take them with us?" Draco asked surprised. Hadn't Harry told him he wanted to wait for a few more weeks before telling them?

Harry bit on his lip and looked at him. "No, I was thinking that you could stay with them while I'm gone. I mean, then they can stay here and they can spend some time with you."

"Wait, you want to go alone?" Draco frowned, not liking the thought of Harry going somewhere alone. Yes, it was the hospital and chances of Harry being kidnapped there were slim to none, but he didn't want to take the chance. Call him paranoid, but so be it.

Harry sighed, already guessing why Draco was so apprehensive to let him go alone. "Draco, please, you can't keep me locked up in the manor. It's Saint Mungos I'm going to, so there is no chance that something will happen again."

"You don't know that," Draco murmured, scowling, crossing his arms.

"Draco, I love you and I love your company, but if you go with me now, you're going to drive me insane. It's just a check-up to see if the baby stays in my womb. It's not like we're going to see the baby now." Harry glared at him. "I want some time alone. That's not too much to ask for, is it? Besides I'll be only gone for half an hour at most. No longer."

"Fine, go alone then," Draco snapped and turned around in bed.

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "Draco, don't be like that, please." He reached out to touch Draco's arm, but stopped when his lover stiffened.

"Just go, Harry," Draco told him stiffly.

Harry growled annoyed and stormed out of the room, slamming the bathroom door with a loud BAM.

Draco winced when he heard that and sighed, rubbing in his eyes. He hadn't meant to get angry or to make Harry angry, but he couldn't help it that he was worried about his lover. He was pregnant now which meant he was more vulnerable than ever. If something happened to him now …

Draco shook his head, scowling at the ceiling. He had to stop thinking like that. Harry was right; he was going to the hospital, a highly secured place. There was no way something would happen to Harry. Besides it was only for half an hour. That wasn't long. He could wait that long.

Draco groaned; he knew he could be overbearing sometimes and maybe he was being a bit overprotective of Harry, but could you really blame him? The murderer was still out there, biding his time. And now that Harry was pregnant, it would only be a matter of time before the murderer appeared again. And then what? Harry would be in no condition to fight – Draco wouldn't let him. Or what if the murderer turned his attention to their boys?

…

All right, so thoughts like those really didn't help calm his nerves. Draco took a deep breath and sat up, just in time to hear the faint sound of Flooing. He would try to forget about the murderer for now; it wasn't like he could do anything about it anyway.

He would wake up Teddy and Scorpius and have breakfast with them while waiting for Harry to return back. Only half an hour. He could do that.

* * *

With a scowl, Harry stumbled out of the fireplace of Saint Mungos. Usually he didn't leave in a middle of a fight, but he didn't know what he could have said that would have placated Draco. All that he had said had been true - he didn't want to leave Teddy and Scorpius with Snape _again_ and he needed some breathing space. He understood why Draco was so wary about him leaving without anyone, but this was a hospital for Merlin's sake! It wasn't as if someone would be able to kidnap him in here. Besides he would be only gone for half an hour at most.

He sighed and raked a hand through his hair, flattening it down a bit. He would talk to Draco later. Now it was time to go to his appointment.

He quickly made his way to Rowland's office, making sure to stay to the sides as to not attract attraction. He really didn't want to end up in the papers again.

Softly knocking on the door, he waited until he heard the affirmative 'Come in.'

Rowland looked up when his door opened and was surprised to see Potter entering alone. He had expected Malfoy to be with him this time too. After all, today was the check-up whether or not the baby had stayed in the womb or not. One would think that the father would be anxious to hear the good or bad news.

"Ah, Mister Potter, good morning," he greeted him and shook his hand.

"Good morning, sir," Potter smiled and sat down.

"Excuse me, but I can't help but notice that Mister Malfoy isn't here today," Rowland commented, leaning back in his chair, placing his quill on his desk.

"Yes, he had to stay at home to watch my godson and his son," Potter replied, frowning.

"Ah, like that." Rowland nodded in understanding. He stood up and grabbed his wand. "All right, Mister Potter, please sit on the examination table and expose your stomach. I'm going to check the baby now."

Potter nodded and went over to the examination table, settling down on the paper and lifting up his sweatshirt.

" _Constitutum locus infantis_ ," Rowland muttered and pointed his wand at Potter's stomach.

A fuzzy, grey screen appeared in the air and Rowland stared at it intently.

"And?" Potter asked, a bit impatient after three minutes of silence.

Rowland waved again with his wand and the screen disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about, Mister Potter. Your baby is safe in your womb."

Potter sighed relieved and Rowland couldn't help but wondering what had changed Potter's mind about the baby. When he had heard about the pregnancy, it had looked like Potter wouldn't want anything to do with the baby and Rowland had been prepared to hear a request for an abortion. Now however it seemed like Potter had decided to keep the baby. Which made Rowland wonder how exactly Malfoy had convinced Potter to keep the baby.

"Excuse me, but I have to ask this; are you planning on keeping the baby?" Rowland asked, sitting back down in his chair.

Potter pulled his sweatshirt back down and returned back to his seat. "Yes, I'm going to keep the baby."

Rowland blinked surprised, but nodded. He grabbed a sheet of paper and started writing a list. "Considering you're almost two months far, you'll soon start having morning sickness which will last until your fourth month, maybe longer. You can ingest potions against the morning sickness, but that's no guarantee those will work. You have to continue to ingest the potions you're already taking to make sure your body can cope with the changes," he told Potter and wanted to hand over the paper when a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Yes?" Rowland called with an apologetic look towards Potter who shrugged.

A young woman entered the office nervously, rubbing her hands together. "Sir, I apologize for disturbing you, but Healer Rocher demands to speak to you, claiming it's too important to wait."

Before Rowland could give an answer, the woman was pushed aside by a tall, broad, ginger haired man who was looking troubled. He passed Harry without looking at him once and came to a hold next to Rowland. "Can you believe that the Ministry is cutting off my financial supplies? They claim that my experiments are unneeded and unnecessary!"

Harry decided it was time to leave before the man would explode from sheer frustration and slipped out of the room, the young woman walking away muttering and visibly shaken.

It wasn't until he was almost at the fireplace that he remembered that he had left the paper with instructions in Rowland's office. He sighed, but turned around and walked the stairs back up to the office.

He wanted to knock, but stopped when he heard his name spoken in the room. Looking around, he noticed he was all alone, no one to stop him from eavesdropping. Ear pressed against the door, he concentrated on the conversation taking place inside the room.

"What, are you really saying that Potter is pregnant? From Malfoy?" Rocher asked incredulously.

Harry heard Rowland sigh. "Yes, I mean it; Harry Potter is pregnant with Draco Malfoy's child. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true."

"And he's keeping it?"

"Yes, quite a surprise isn't it? When he heard the news of his pregnancy, Potter hadn't looked too thrilled with it. I was almost afraid he would pass out from shock."

"And Malfoy? How did he react?"

"Ecstatic. Besides himself from happiness." Rowland sounded disgusted.

"So Malfoy wanted the child and Potter didn't. Do you think Malfoy forced Potter to keep his child?"

"Could be. It would ensure that Potter never left him and you know he can use the positive publicity. I mean, it isn't as if the Malfoys have a good reputation now. I'm sure Malfoy couldn't be happier with the pregnancy than he is now. I feel sorry for Potter, though it would serve him right if he lost the foetus. Why on earth would he want a child from such a scumbag like Malfoy?"

Rage coursed through Harry's veins and his hand tightened around his wand. He wanted nothing more than to barge in there and curse those assholes so badly even Voldemort would pale in fright. How dare they talk dirt about Draco? Who were they to judge him? They didn't know Draco; all they saw was the picture the media had presented after Lucius' trial. Harry shook his head disgusted; he had known that not many people were happy with him being together with Draco, but he had at least thought that Rowland would keep his prejudices to himself.

_And here I was thinking Healers were neutral_ , Harry thought disgusted and stepped back from the door. He could feel his magic humming and crackling, ready to lash out the second he lost control. He had to leave now before he would let the hospital explode.

He turned around and stormed away back to the fireplace, all the while thinking of a way to pay Rowland back for his treatment. He wouldn't let him get away with slandering Draco's good name so easily.

* * *

Draco looked up at the sound of the Floo activating and became concerned when he saw Harry's enraged face.

"Harry, did something happen? Is the baby okay?" he asked fearfully, standing up and walking over to his lover, completely forgetting that he had been angry with him not even half an hour ago.

Harry held out his hand while leaning against the wall. "Stay back, please, Draco," he said through clenched teeth and Draco wanted to protest until he felt the dangerous humming of Harry's magic and he halted immediately. He had been there when Harry had defeated Voldemort so he knew just how powerful the man was and he knew how bad it would be if he lost control of his magic.

It felt like hours – but was in fact mere minutes – before Harry lowered his hand and slid down on the floor exhausted, a sheen of sweat glistering on his forehead.

Draco immediately rushed over to him, gathering him in his arms, Harry's head against his shoulder. "Harry, will you please tell me what happened to make you that angry. Is it – the baby?" He swallowed at the last question and tightened his grip around Harry's shoulders.

Harry sighed and closed his own arms around Draco's waist. "The baby is fine, no problems there."

Draco let relief wash over him for a moment, glad that nothing had happened with their baby, before frowning. "If the baby's okay, then why were you so angry?"

"I forgot the list of instructions Rowland had written for me and went back to his office," Harry began and paused to calm down again. Anger took over his whole body every time he thought back to what he had heard during his eavesdropping. "He was there with another Healer and they were discussing my pregnancy."

Draco went still, his form tense.

"Basically, it came down to the fact that they couldn't believe I would want to keep a child of you and that it would be better for me if I lost the baby. They believe that you only want this baby, because of the fact that it would make you look good in the public's eye," Harry said disgusted, glaring at the opposite wall. "It took all of my control to not storm in there and curse them to hell. Who do they think they are? They don't know you, so they should keep their fucking mouth shut! It isn't any of their business what we do."

Draco sighed and caressed Harry's back, rubbing it soothingly. "So we aren't going back to that Healer. Then we have to look for another one to do the check-ups. It has to be someone trustworthy though. Someone who knows to keep their mouth shut."

Harry relaxed slowly, his muscles feeling tired of tense state he had kept them in. "Can we look for someone later? I'm not in the mood now."

"Of course, no problem," Draco smiled faintly and kissed Harry's temple. "I'm sorry for my behaviour."

Harry shook his head. "Don't be. I know why you were angry and I understand it, but you know my reasons why I wanted to go alone today." He pressed an open mouthed kiss in Draco's pale, smooth neck. "Besides, it's not like you have to stay home every time now. By the time my next check-up arrives, the boys will know about the baby and then we can take them with us."

Draco smiled. "I'm sure they are going to be happy with their new sibling."

"Where are they actually?"

"They're still sleeping. I tried to wake them up, but they grumbled at me and I could swear Teddy growled," Draco told him astonished.

Harry laughed softly. "Yeah, he does that sometimes if he's too sleepy."

"His father will be so proud," Draco said drily.

"I'm sure he will be," Harry chuckled and leant over to kiss him on his lips.

"Breakfast?" Draco murmured against his lips, remembering that Harry was eating for two now. He resolved himself to pay better attention to Harry's meals. He would need the energy and the vitamins now more than ever.

"Later. Can't we go back to bed and sleep a bit more? I'm still a bit tired," Harry muttered, sighing.

"Of course we can," Draco smiled and stood up, carefully pulling Harry back up and intertwined their fingers, leading him back to bed where they rested for two more hours before they were woken up by Teddy and Scorpius whose growling stomachs demanded to be fed.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: a lot of angst. This chapter is darker than the previous ones in my opinion, so I thought I should warn you now. Not much fluff I'm afraid ^^;  
> Also I noticed I made a mistake later on in this chapter: where Draco is surprised at hearing Harry was a candidate for Slytherin; he had heard about it earlier in the story, but as I can't seem to find a good way to change the paragraph, let's pretend for that part of the chapter that he had forgotten about that little fact, okay? ^^;
> 
> Also, I hope I portrayed Teddy's feelings well - I have no clue how children in his situation act, so I whinged it with what I read and saw on television.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 37**

_2nd of March: two months pregnant_

Teddy had always been a smart boy. He was brilliant in school and had even managed good control over his changing abilities. He was also very observant; nothing escaped his eyes, especially not when it concerned people he considered his family. So naturally he had noticed how his dad had started to look pale.

It had started a few days ago after the announcement of the wedding. Teddy had gone downstairs for breakfast and when he had entered the room, he had seen his dad sitting at the table, extremely pale. Draco had been rubbing dad's back, murmuring something in his ear. They had broken apart as soon as they had noticed Teddy standing in the doorway.

At Teddy's inquiry if dad was sick, dad had shaken his head, smiling weakly, telling him nothing was wrong.

Teddy would have believed him if his dad hadn't looked pale every morning and sometimes throughout the day. His dad had taken to napping during the day too. In the last two weeks Teddy had often found his dad asleep on the couch or his bed, only waking up when the boy shook him softly.

To Teddy, this didn't seem normal; his dad had always been very active, able to go through until late in the night. The boy was absolutely certain his dad was sick, especially after having heard him throwing up several times.

In fact that was what happening now. Teddy had wanted to go back to his lesson with Snape after retrieving a book, but had stopped as soon as he reached the bathroom in the corridor of his room.

Someone was throwing up severely in it and Teddy went to the door alarmed, hesitating whether or not he should go in or go in search of an adult to help. His decision was taken for him when the retching stopped and after a minute the sound of a toilet flushing could be heard.

Footsteps in the bathroom alarmed Teddy to take a few steps back before he would bump against the person in the bathroom.

To his immense surprise and worry, his dad came out of the room, raking a hand through his hair and looking worse for wear.

"Dad?" Teddy asked meekly.

Surprised, green eyes stared at him. Light bags had collected under the eyes, making him look like he did when he returned after having been kidnapped.

"Teddy, what are you doing here?" Dad asked, clearing his throat when it sounded scratchy. "Don't you have a lesson with Snape?"

"Yes, but I had to pick up a book that I had forgotten," Teddy muttered, not taking his amber coloured eyes of Harry. "Dad, are you sick? Do you need to go to a Healer?"

Dad shook his head and leant against the door, breathing heavily. "No, Teddy, don't worry. Everything is fine. I'm not sick," he assured him again.

"But you were throwing up," Teddy pointed out, frowning.

His dad seemed to hesitate as if he was deciding whether or not to tell the boy something, before he shook his head again. "Really, sweetie, you don't have to worry. I'm not really sick. It's just something that's going around. I'll be fine soon, I promise," he smiled and patted Teddy's shoulder. "Now, why don't you hurry back to your lesson, hm? I'm sure Snape is waiting for you."

Teddy frowned and bit his lip, but slowly walked back to the improved classroom, wondering why his dad had been lying. " _Something that was going around_." If that was true, then how come no one else in the manor was sick? Teddy couldn't remember having ever heard Draco throwing up or Scorpius. It had always been his dad.

The taste of copper alerted him that he had bitten on his lip too hard and blood was dripping out of it. He had forgotten about his sharp teeth. Absently he began sucking on his lip, still thinking about what had happened. He walked back in the room and took his place next to Scorpius who was reading something in his high, clear voice.

Severus turned around to scold Teddy and ask him where the hell he had been, but stopped as soon as he saw the distracted and worried look on the boy's face. Normally he wouldn't have cared if someone was depressed to ask questions, but something stopped him this time. From what he had been able to observe, he had noticed that the boy was a lot like Potter - if someone pushed him too far, he would retreat in himself, refusing to answer for a long time.

Severus sighed inaudibly and just instructed Teddy to read the next passage of his book. The boy would work out what troubled him in his own time. He was here to teach them, not to play their damned psychiatrist.

* * *

Harry sighed and rubbed over his face warily. It was getting harder and harder to keep the pregnancy from Teddy. He knew the boy deserved to know that he would get a brother or a sister, but he didn't have a clue as to how to go about it. It would be hard to convince Teddy that men _were_ capable of getting pregnant, when he had reassured the boy months ago that men wouldn't be able to get knocked up. He still had two months before he started showing, so he had a bit more time to think about a way to break the news.

He looked up when a soft pop was heard. A house elf stood a few feet away from him, holding something in his tiny hands.

"Yes?" he asked curiously.

"Master Harry, owl delivered this letter for you," the house elf replied politely and handed over the letter.

"Thank you," Harry muttered and frowned when he saw the Ministry's seal. What did they want now?

He opened the letter and scanned it.

' _Harry_

_I know you are not an Auror anymore and you probably don't want have anything to do with the case of the poison killer, but I need your help. The antidote you gave us worked phenomenally and you will be pleased to hear that the victims have recovered completely without any lingering after effects._

_The Minister, however, would like to know what exactly the final ingredient was and how you managed to retrieve it._

_I hope it isn't too much of a bother to send us a reply back._

_Thank you._

_Yours sincerely_

_William Burns'_

Harry sighed and tucked the letter away in his pocket. He should have known that the Minister would get suspicious. After all, none of the Potions masters that the Ministry had employed for this case had managed to find the final ingredient. Of course they would start asking questions.

The question was, how much could he tell William before betraying Snape? The ingredient was very rare and therefore expensive – and Harry had a feeling it was illegal too. How was he supposed to explain that?

Making up his mind, he turned in the direction of Snape's improvised classroom. He would talk to the man first and then decide how much he would tell his ex-colleague.

* * *

Severus looked up when a soft knock on the door interrupted his lesson. He sighed. "Keep reading and don't dare to make any noise. I'll know if you do," he warned the two boys and swept away to the door.

Expecting his godson to interrupt him, he was therefore immensely surprised to see Potter waiting for him. A quick glance told him Potter was tired and pale.

_He has probably been puking his guts out_ , Severus thought idly. _Well, he's almost three months along by now. It was to be expected._

"Why did you feel the need to interrupt my lesson, Potter?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and closed the door behind him, crossing his arms. "I know you never cared much for your education, but hopefully you'll realize that these boys need actual education before they turn into blundering fools."

Emerald green eyes narrowed, but didn't react to the bait. "I just received a letter from an ex-colleague," Potter began.

"Don't tell me you need help with reading it?" Severus asked sarcastically.

"Can you please hold your comments to yourself for once?" Potter snapped and then shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to lash out like that." He took a deep breath. "Anyway, the Minister wants to know what exactly the final ingredient is and how you managed to get that."

Severus tensed. "Did you tell him it was I who made the potion?" he asked, not daring to believe that Potter had been that stupid.

"Of course not." Potter scowled and crossed his arms. "I'm not stupid. I won't let the Ministry get you."

This made Severus blink. He had thought Potter would have loved nothing more than to see him getting a trial. Of course he had wondered why he had been left alone by the Ministry, but he had assumed they were just too stupid to catch on to his trail. Had Potter made sure they didn't know he had stayed alive? "Why not?"

"What, what why not?" Potter asked confused.

"Why haven't you let the Ministry get me?" Severus replied impatiently.

Potter blinked and then looked away. "Even though you have been a right bastard to me most of the times, you still saved me," he muttered. "And when I saw your memories, I knew how much you had given up to make sure that most people survived the war." He sighed. "And I don't think that my mum would have agreed to you being in prison."

Severus was speechless. Never once had he heard someone saying that to him; never once had someone reassured him he was doing a good thing. And never once had someone told him that Lily would have still cared about what happened to him.

"So, I was wondering what exactly I would tell William without betraying the fact that you're still alive," Potter muttered uncomfortably.

Severus immediately snapped back to attention. "You can tell him that the final ingredient was the poison of the blue ringed octopus. Its poison paralyzes the victim and combined with the other ingredients will cause death in the long wait. As for how I managed to get that – well, I leave it up to you to decide how much you're going to tell them."

"You just love making my life difficult, don't you?" Potter groaned and scowled at him half-heartedly.

Severus smirked. "Hardly, I'm just giving you the opportunity to show you're more than an idiotic boy with a hero-complex."

"Damn it, Snape, I don't have a fucking hero-complex!" Potter snarled, clenching his fists.

"Tsk, language, Potter. It won't do to speak like that around the children," Severus admonished him smirking.

"Gah! You're impossible!" Potter threw his hands up in the air in frustration and stomped away, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'that annoying git'.

Severus shook his head; Potter never failed to amuse him. He took a deep breath and entered the classroom again, just in time to hear Scorpius whispering something to Teddy.

"I thought I told you to shut up?" Severus raised an eyebrow and to his satisfaction, both boys gulped nervously.

_Yes, I still got it_ , he thought amused.

* * *

Harry had just finished writing the explanation about how he had acquired the poison, when it suddenly struck him that he could ask something in return. The Minister owed him and though Harry felt uncomfortable asking something in return when all he had done was helping people survive – something he had done for years – he reasoned that this time wasn't any different, because he would be helping Draco. Sort of.

A smirk creeping up on his face, Harry added his request at the bottom of the letter and signed it before going in search for an owl.

Getting revenge felt _so_ good. No wonder Slytherins were so fond of it.

* * *

Two days later, Draco woke up to an empty and cold bed. He frowned and sat up. Had Harry gone puking again? If so, why hadn't he woke him up? He understood that Harry didn't want him there to see him retching like there was no tomorrow, but he was still his lover and he wanted to give his support in any way he could. And now, he could do that by calming Harry down.

He stood up and went in search of his lost lover, but didn't find him in the bathroom. The fresh smell of flowers lingered in the room and told him that Harry had indeed been puking his guts out not long ago.

That only left the breakfast table.

And indeed, when Draco arrived in the dining room, he saw Harry sitting and sipping of his orange juice while reading the Morning Prophet intently. His green eyes scanned the whole paper before abruptly turning it, as if he was searching for something in particular.

Slowly, Draco sat down next to him, looking at him concerned. "Harry, are you okay? Not too nauseous?"

"Hm, what?" Harry looked up and blinked. "No, I'm okay. The nausea passed," he muttered absently and searched through the newspaper again.

"Are you searching for something in particular?" Draco asked, grabbing a cup of coffee.

Harry didn't answer him for a while and Draco had resigned himself to ask again, when Harry made a triumphant noise and his eyes light up in vicious glee.

"That will teach him to mess with my family," Harry smirked and threw the paper down, sipping from his juice.

Draco eyed him warily. Harry looked positively Slytherin at the moment: the smirk, the vicious glee. He wondered who the poor bastard was that had managed to piss off the Chosen one.

"Harry?"

"Here, read this."

Draco frowned but accepted the paper and read the article.

' _ **Healer Rowland betrays patient confidentiality and cheats on his wife!**_

_It has been recently brought to our attention that the famous Healer Rowland – known for his research on deadly potions and the antidotes – has betrayed the patient confidentiality. The Auror investigating the case wouldn't release the name of the patient, but was willing to give some information free. It appears to be a man around the thirties who is now pregnant with a child of someone suspected, but cleared of Death Eaters' activities. Healer Rowland apparently disagreed with the choice of the father and told a fellow Healer that 'it would serve the patient right if he lost the foetus'._

_Not only did he betray the patient confidentiality by informing another Healer about his case, but a Healer is also forbidden to form an opinion about a case, except in cases where it would save the patient's life. Clearly this was not the case here._

_As if that wasn't enough, it has been brought into the light that Healer Rowland also has a mistress in the hospital. According to our source, he has been cheating on his wife for five years now, without anyone the wiser._

_Healer Rowland will now get trialled by the government of the Hospital. Chances are big he will lose his license to heal and will get fired. As for his wife, she only commented that she would file for a divorce.'_

Draco was speechless. He couldn't believe that Rowland, the Healer he had trusted with his family, would have been talking about Harry's pregnancy with another Healer. That it was about Harry was clear from the way Harry was smiling viciously. What stung him the most was that Rowland had wished for Harry to have a miscarriage. How could he have been so mistaken about this man?

And how did this Auror find out about the betrayal?

Slowly he looked up at Harry, who was humming contently and still smirking.

"Did you put that Auror up to this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harry cocked his head to his right, blinking at him innocently. "Now why would I have done that? I may have suggested that he could look into Healer Rowland, but I never told him to make it public." He hummed again. "It's not my fault Rowland was being stupid." His grin could rival that of a shark.

Draco leant back in his chair, shaking his head incredulously. "Every time I think I finally know you, you do something to surprise me," he murmured. "That was a very Slytherin thing to do, Harry. Although I can't say he didn't deserve that."

Harry stood up. "Of course it was a very Slytherin thing; after all, the Hat had wanted to put me in Slytherin." He winked at a gaping Draco. "Every now and then I let the Slytherin side out to play." He snickered and walked out of the room. "I'm going to check on the boys, see if they are already up."

Draco stared at the now empty room. Who would have thought that the famous Harry Potter had been suited for Slytherin? Although that would explain some quirks that Harry possessed; his tendency for being sneaky for example. Or his taste for revenge when he felt someone had gone too far.

Draco chuckled and shook his head. Life with Harry Potter would never be boring, that was certain.

* * *

_18th of March_

Because it was a rather sunny day, Draco and Harry had decided to take the boys out for a day at the park. The house elves had made a picnic for them and soon they were on their way, Teddy walking hand in hand with Harry and Scorpius skipping in front of him, too excited about his day out with his family to stay still.

It didn't take long to get to the park that was near the Malfoy manor and Harry and Draco settled themselves underneath the shade of a large tree, while the boys took the ball and began to kick it back and forth a couple of feet away from them.

Because there was a lake nearby, Harry kept an eye on the boys to make sure they wouldn't fall in.

Draco was busying himself with paying attention to Harry's belly. He was almost three months along now and even though he still got morning sickness, it wasn't as bad as a few weeks ago. Draco suspected that had something to do with the potions that Severus had given his lover.

Harry hadn't gotten a noticeable belly yet, but Draco was certain that his stomach wasn't as flat as it had been weeks ago. Harry just rolled his eyes and told him he was seeing things.

"When do you think we'll be able to feel our baby kick?" Draco asked absentmindedly, his hand disappearing beneath Harry's sweater.

"How should I know?" Harry shrugged. "I've never been pregnant before and I haven't met anyone pregnant in my life."

"Hm, we should hurry with searching someone then. You're almost due for your next check-up," Draco murmured and caressed the soft stomach.

"You look pretty carrying a child, Harry." A dreamy voice startled them and they turned around in haste, wands directed at the person behind them. "Of course that's not abnormal, giving the fact that you carry a nature spirit with you. They always defend the mother and the baby."

Harry blinked and lowered his wand. "Luna?" he said incredulously and stood up, shaking off Draco's hand.

Draco stood up hastily. He recognized the slender, blonde woman in front of him. Luna Lovegood, the loony Ravenclaw. He hadn't paid much attention to her during his years at Hogwarts, but he had heard enough rumours about her. She was always walking around with her head in the clouds, not paying attention to a single thing that happened around her. She always talked about non existing creatures and was being left alone by pretty much everyone in her own House.

"Hello, Harry." Luna smiled serenely, twirling some blond strands between her fingers.

"Do you come here often?" Harry asked smiling, relaxing. He wasn't surprised to hear that Luna had known he was pregnant; he had always known she knew more than she let on.

"Wouldn't it be better to ask how the hell she knows you're pregnant?" Draco hissed, his grey eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Luna knows many things; if I always had to ask where she learnt those things, I would never stop," Harry replied drily.

"The fire pixie told me I would find you here today," Luna smiled, her blue eyes blinking dreamily. "She also told me you need someone to help you with the pregnancy," she continued, now looking interested at the two boys playing with the ball. They hadn't noticed her arrival.

"Yes, do you, by any chance, know someone who can help me?" Harry asked, smiling when he looked at the boys too.

Draco leant against the tree, still not fully trusting the situation. His wand was already up his sleeve, ready to be used if she did something to attack his lover.

Luna giggled; a sound as that of bells swinging in the wind. "Didn't the water pixies tell you that I can help with the baby?" she hummed and twirled around on her spot, before facing Harry again with a smile.

Harry blinked surprised. "Wait, you studied for Healer?" he asked shocked. If that was true then all his problems were solved. He trusted Luna without a doubt and knew that, even if she was a bit dreamy and a bit weird, she would be more than able to help him with his pregnancy.

"Hm, my mum was a Healer," Luna murmured absentmindedly, her attention now on a white butterfly. "She left me all her books and I got interested. What do you think?" She beamed.

"I wouldn't trust anyone more than you." Harry beamed back.

The young woman clapped her hands. "I'll see you in two weeks! Say hello to your sons for me!" With that said, she twirled around again and skipped away, disappearing to wherever she came from.

"Are you sure you can trust her with our baby?" Draco asked, a crease in his forehead showing his worry.

Harry let his hand trail over Draco's arm, stopping when he reached his hand and intertwined their fingers. "I trust her with my life," he assured him. "She was there when I went to the Ministry in our fifth year and she was one hell of a fighter. She may be dreamy, but I know she'll help without causing problems. Besides," he added absentmindedly, "she's the only one I really trust not to talk to the public about the baby."

"All right," Draco sighed and allowed himself to relax again. If Harry trusted her with their baby, he should trust her too.

* * *

_8th of April: three months pregnant_

It was a couple of weeks after Luna's visit to check on the baby that something happened that would change Teddy's life forever.

Teddy hadn't caught his dad puking anymore, but he didn't think that meant that his dad was okay again. That was proven by how worried Draco still seemed and how much he fussed in the morning when dad came downstairs looking pale and tired.

Still his dad didn't seem to get worse and he regained colour back during the day, so whatever it was, it made him only sick in the morning apparently.

Of course, the young boy could never have guessed what exactly caused his dad to be sick every morning.

It was the eight of April, on a sunny morning, when Dagda decided that it was time to explore the manor without his master and before Teddy knew it, his little cat had jumped out of his arms and started running away, his little tail swishing back and forth in excitement.

"Dagda!" Teddy called out, but if he wanted to stop his little kitty, he had to run after it.

And damn, Dagda was a fast runner even with small paws. The sneaky cat always stayed just a few feet in front of him, leading him through large hallways and up the stairs, around corridors.

They entered the West wing where their bedrooms were and suddenly Teddy saw his cat enter a room of which the door stood slightly ajar.

"Dagda?" Teddy huffed annoyed and opened the door, coming to an abrupt hold when he noticed what exactly this room was.

A nursery. The whole room was made for a baby. There was a tiny bed, with a teddy bear placed on the pillow, waiting for the moment it would be held and cuddled. A small closet stood against the wall, probably for the clothes.

_There was no dust._

That might seem as something incredibly stupid to notice, something not even worth mentioning, but it was something that made fear lash out and curl around Teddy's mind, making him shiver. No dust meant that this room was visited frequently; no dust meant this room was being prepared for a new arrival. The young boy tried to convince himself that no dust didn't necessarily mean that the nursery would be used – after all, the manor still had house elves that cleaned everything obsessively.

Teddy would like to believe that, except for the fact that he had seen rooms with dust, rooms that were no longer used and that Draco didn't deem fit to be cleaned.

Maybe the house elves cleaned this room out of habit? It was near their bedrooms, so maybe the elves assumed this one had to be cleaned too.

Teddy wanted nothing more than to believe that. There was no baby on the way; his dad had never spoken about adopting a baby together with Draco. Why would he? They were only just engaged; they didn't need another child. He and Scorpius were enough. Right?

Unease rose up in his belly and he crossed his arms around his stomach, as if he wanted to push the unease away. He didn't like feeling this way; he didn't like the fear that told him things were about to change drastically. He was just making things up, just scaring himself for nothing.

Yes, this nursery meant nothing. Nothing at all. Teddy nodded and repeated that thought, absentmindedly picking up his kitten who started to purr.

Still the unease and the fear didn't want to leave him, no matter how much he wanted them too.

* * *

The door to his bedroom stood open, giving the young boy a view of what his dad was doing. Draco was murmuring something too low for Teddy to hear and was rubbing over his dad's stomach, which was a very strange thing to do in the boy's opinion. It wasn't surprising though – lately Teddy had caught Draco many times rubbing dad's stomach. At first he had thought he did that to relieve a stomach pain, but his dad didn't seem to be in pain. Whenever Draco did that, his dad was smiling; occasionally he would roll his eyes, but the action was done in amusement, not annoyance.

Teddy frowned and pulled the sheets higher around his shoulders. He was waiting for his dad to tell him a good night story. He knew Scorpius had gotten his already and was patiently awaiting the moment he would get _his_ time with his dad.

Without any warning, the image of the clean nursery entered his mind and his hands clenched in the cool fabric. He desperately wanted to know why the nursery was so clean, even though there was no baby, but he didn't know whether he wanted to hear the answer. Which was strange when he thought about it, but made somehow perfectly sense.

The sound of a kiss made him look up again and he was just in time to see his dad smiling at Draco and closing the door behind him, walking to Teddy to sit on his bed.

"Teddy, do you have a book?" Dad smiled confused when he saw no book waiting for him. He sat down next to Teddy's legs, hidden underneath the blankets.

Teddy blinked and looked around. He had forgotten to choose a book. In fact he could barely remember what he had done for the rest of the day. His mind had been full with the discovery of the nursery and he had been feeling uneasy the whole day, fear throbbing dully in the back of his mind. He really didn't like that feeling.

"Teddy?" Dad repeated confused when he heard no answer.

Blue eyes suddenly captured emerald green and held them. "Dad, why is the nursery so clean?" Teddy asked uneasily, the question slipping out of his mouth without thinking about it.

Dad went completely still, tense even and Teddy's unease grew bigger. Why was his dad not saying anything? It was just a stupid nursery, right?

Suddenly, his dad sighed wearily and he rubbed a hand over his face, staring at Teddy with a strange look on his face.

"Dad?" Teddy bit his lip.

"I should have known this was coming," Dad muttered and stretched his legs. "God, I wish I had thought it more through."

"Thought what more through?" Teddy asked confused, sitting up straight. Alarm bells went off in his head, but he didn't understand why. There was nothing wrong now.

Dad looked at him and sighed again. "Teddy, do you remember the day you asked me if men could get pregnant?" he asked out of the blue, catching the boy off guard.

Teddy frowned. "Yeah, you said it wasn't possible," he replied, cocking his head. The feeling of unease grew more.

Dad looked away, frowning, making Teddy insecure. Had he said something wrong? He hadn't, had he? His dad had said that men couldn't get pregnant. Teddy hadn't told a lie.

"The thing is, Teddy, that it seems I was mistaken about that," Dad said, taking a deep breath.

"Mistaken?" Teddy echoed faintly. The alarm bells grew louder.

"You see, that day I really didn't know that men could get pregnant, but it appears I was wrong." Dad looked at him again intently. "With certain potions, it is possible for men to carry babies."

"Oh," Teddy muttered, not knowing how to react. Men could get pregnant. They could carry babies. All it would take was a potion. Why did that revelation surprise him? He had grown up with magic all around him; he should have realized that something like a potion to get men pregnant would exist. The fact was, he hadn't wanted to realize that.

"And …" He looked up when his dad spoke again hesitatingly. "I don't know how to say this the right way, so I'll just be blunt; I got a potion like that in my body and I'm … pregnant now."

Heavy silence followed that statement. Dad was looking at him worriedly, his lips pursed together.

_Pregnant_. His dad was expecting a baby. He would get a sibling. Another brother or a sister; another small child he had to put up with. Teddy stared at his dad's stomach; in there, there was a baby growing.

The boy was frozen; it felt like he was drenched in ice. This just couldn't be happening. There was no way his dad would keep the baby; it was too early, wasn't it? They were just engaged; his dad was still getting used to Draco. A baby was too early for them.

"Teddy?" Dad began again nervously. "What do you think of it?"

Slowly, blue eyes trailed up to look at his dad. "How long do you know that?" he asked softly, not sure which tone he should use. Should he be angry, sad? He didn't know. The only thing he was sure of was that he wasn't happy at all. How could he be happy? He still had trouble with Scorpius – he was still getting used to the fact that he had to share his dad with others. Now he would have to share his dad with another annoying brat. Someone else who would be able to steal his dad's attention.

Unless … his dad wasn't keeping the baby. A small bubble of hope flared up in his chest. Maybe his dad didn't want to keep the baby either. Maybe his dad really only needed him – and Scorpius. He was good enough, wasn't he? His dad didn't want another child. He had enough with Teddy.

Dad shifted uneasily. "I know it for a few months now. The baby is due in six months," he smiled weakly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, sweetie, but Draco and I wanted to be sure everything was all right with the baby before we would tell you."

That made Teddy look up fully. "You're keeping the baby?" he asked uncertainly. Had he heard wrong?

"Yeah." Dad's smile got softer, his green eyes glittering excitedly. "What do you think of it, sweetie, do you like the idea of another little brother or sister?"

His dad looked so hopeful, that Teddy couldn't bear to tell him the truth. He absolutely loathed the idea of another sibling. Wasn't it enough he had to share his dad with that blond brat? Why did his dad need another baby? Wasn't he good enough maybe? He had thought he was a good boy; he had kept his fights with Scorpius to a minimum, going as far as to avoid him if possible; he did well in Uncle Sev's class, he ate all his vegetables and fruit, he always went to bed early and never once complained. Wasn't that good enough for his dad?

And why did he have the feeling that he was being replaced? His dad wouldn't do that to him, would he? He was still his boy, right?

He started when two strong arms slipped around him, hugging him tightly to a warm chest and pulling him from underneath the sheets, placing him on a strong lap.

"Sweetie, you do know that I love you, right?" Dad murmured in his hair, caressing his back soothingly. "I'll always love you, that won't change."

But what if dad would love the new baby more? Teddy didn't dare to voice that thought, scared he would burst into tears. After all, he wasn't his dad's real son. His real parents were dead and how much the boy wanted to, the person he considered his dad was in reality his godfather and he would never be his real son, no matter how much he wanted to. And this baby was his dad's real son or daughter; he or she would be carried in his dad's stomach and he or she would be born from his dad. No one would be able to say that this baby wasn't his dad's real child.

That hurt Teddy more than all the taunts he had had to endure in the past about his heritage. He wanted to believe that his dad would love him as much as he would love the new baby, but something in him warned him that that couldn't be true. Maybe his dad would love him this much for as long as the baby wasn't born, but from the moment his dad could hold the new baby … Teddy would be discarded like a broken, useless toy.

The young boy clung to his dad and buried his face in his dad's shoulder. "I love you too, dad," he whispered and was rewarded with a kiss on his forehead.

He looked down at his dad's stomach and already resented the baby. There was no way he would ever be happy with the baby; that baby was another intruder, another one who stole his dad's attention.

But maybe … Maybe if he showed his dad he could be the perfect son, his dad wouldn't push him away when the time came for the baby to be born.

He looked up and smiled weakly, kissing his dad's cheek. "Good night, dad," he whispered.

Dad smiled and kissed his forehead again. "Sweet dreams, honey," he whispered and tucked the young boy under.

Teddy stared at the ceiling in the dark, biting his lip and refusing to acknowledge the tears dripping on his pillow.

He would be so perfect, his dad would definitely love him more.

With that thought, he turned on his side and fell in a restless sleep, his dreams consisting mainly of feelings of loneliness and resentment.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: fight between the two boys (Teddy is probably a bit OOC in this chapter, for which I apologize), fluff 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 38**

_Still 8th of April: evening_

Draco looked up when the door opened and Harry entered their bedroom, looking tired. He sat up straight in bed and placed the book he had been reading on the nightstand.

"Harry?" he questioned when his lover let himself fall down on the bed with a sigh.

"I told Teddy I'm pregnant," Harry answered softly, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes.

"Ah." Draco paused. "And how did he react?"

Harry bit his lip. "I don't know really. He didn't really say anything about it, but he didn't get angry either." He shrugged helplessly. "To be honest, I don't know how he thinks about getting a new sibling."

"Do you want me to talk to him and see how he feels about the baby?" Draco offered and trailed a circle on Harry's stomach with his hand.

Harry shrugged and sat up to lean against the headboard, fluffing up the pillow to lay it behind his back. "Let's wait a bit more; maybe he's in shock of hearing the news and he'll approach us later."

"Maybe," Draco muttered.

"Well, I guess we can tell Scorpius tomorrow then about the pregnancy. It wouldn't be fair to leave him out after all," Harry chuckled weakly.

"He'll be ecstatic; I can assure you of that," his lover replied drily, kissing his neck.

Harry snorted. "I don't doubt that – not after all those pictures he made of me being pregnant."

Draco grinned. "Maybe he has Seer blood," he joked, shifting his body to lie between Harry's legs.

Harry stared at the ceiling surprised. "Do the Malfoys have Seer blood in the family?" he asked fascinated.

Draco paused from his exploration of Harry's stomach and stared at him pensively. "I don't know. I think there has been a Seer in the family some generations ago, but I don't know if he was a true Seer or just a fake one." He shrugged and pushed Harry's shirt further up to reveal more of his stomach.

Only now did Harry take notice of their position. He blinked and looked down at the blond hair that was obscuring his sight of his lover's face. "What are you doing?" he asked drily when he felt lips and fingers sliding over the centre of his stomach. It was tickling him a bit and he squirmed lightly, placing his hands on warm, hard shoulders.

"I'm worshiping your belly," Draco replied absentmindedly.

"I don't have a belly!" Harry protested, sitting up straight, dislodging Draco in the process. "I'm only three months far – that's too early for me to start showing."

Draco rolled his eyes and sat up too, crossing his legs and placing his hands against Harry's stomach. "That's not too early – Daphne got a belly then too. It's not big, but it's there," he insisted and trailed his hands up and down over the bare skin.

"God, you can be annoying," Harry muttered and shook his head, trying to fend off the insistent hands. "Why do you have an obsession with my stomach?"

"Because that's where my child is being kept," Draco said drily. Suddenly a mischievous gleam entered his eyes and Harry got wary. "But if your other body parts feel neglected, I'm sure I can satisfy them," he smirked and pushed his lover down on his back.

"How romantic," Harry snorted and clasped his hands around Draco's neck, shivering when he felt the hot breath hitting his own neck. A hand cupping his growing member made him moan.

"Romantic or not, you can't deny you want me," Draco replied smugly and then proceeded to show Harry exactly how much he appreciated his body as a whole.

* * *

_9th of April_

The following morning at breakfast, Harry's stomach was filled with fluttering butterflies; he knew there was no reason to be nervous, because Scorpius had expressed quite clearly his wish for another sibling, but he couldn't help it. Was it maybe too soon to spring the news of the pregnancy on the young boy after telling him of the engagement?

Harry tapped his foot impatiently on the wooden floor, twirling his spoon in his bowl with cereal, waiting for the light tapping noise that would signify Scorpius' arrival.

A hand on his stopped his twirling and he looked up startled, right in amused, grey eyes.

"Why are you so nervous? Scorpius will be jumping in joy after hearing the news," Draco said drily.

Harry bit his lip, smiling. "Are Malfoys allowed to jump in joy?" he asked impishly.

That remark earned him a smack on his thigh and an eye roll. He laughed and bent over to give Draco a quick soft kiss on his just shaved cheek.

He straightened up when he heard light footsteps coming to the dining room. Teddy hadn't come down yet, so he assumed he was still sleeping soundly.

The door opened and Scorpius entered, still clad in white pyjamas, his feet bare, his blond hair mussed from sleep. He toddled over to the table, his little fists rubbing the sleep out of his bleary eyes. He climbed up the chair, plopping down on the cushion with a soft sigh, blinking sleepily at his plate where a waffle with whipped cream appeared on, courtesy of the house elf in the kitchen.

"Good morning, daddy, papa," he muttered, hiding his yawn behind his hand.

"Good morning, Scorpius," Draco smiled, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Morning, sweetie," Harry greeted back, crossing his legs. He placed his spoon in the bowl and started fiddling with his engagement ring. God, how was he supposed to tell Scorpius of the pregnancy? It had been easy with Teddy – awkward, but easy, considering Teddy had had already a hunch about what was happening. Scorpius would be taken completely by surprise.

Scorpius had only taken three bites of his warm waffle when Draco decided it was time to tell him the news.

"Scorpius, your daddy and I have to tell you something," he began, but was stopped by a kick against his chin, making him scowl at Harry who glared back.

Scorpius looked between them confused. "What, papa?" he asked curiously, placing his waffle back down, a blob of whipped cream still on his nose.

Harry rolled his eyes and reached over to wipe the cream away with his napkin, making Scorpius smile sheepishly.

"Can't it wait until he has eaten his breakfast and is fully awake?" Harry asked irritated, wanting to stall a bit more.

"Why would we wait? He's awake, aren't you, Scorpius?" Draco smiled and winked at his son, who grinned back.

"I'm awake, daddy," he chirped, his little legs swishing back and forth, now more curious than ever.

Daddy sighed and raked his hands through his hair messing it up further. "Fine," he grumbled. "You tell him then, seeing as you're so eager."

Papa grinned and turned towards him, his grey eyes glittering with joy. "You remember your drawings of daddy having a baby?" he began.

Scorpius nodded, confused as to what his drawings had to do with the news he would be getting.

"Well, in your daddy's belly," Papa pointed towards daddy's stomach, "there's now a little baby. You're getting a little sister or a little brother in six months, Scorpius."

Scorpius' mouth fell open, shaped in an 'o'. He couldn't take his eyes off his daddy's stomach. "Really, daddy, there's a baby in your belly?" he asked amazed, not daring to believe it.

Daddy nodded, a gentle smile lighting up his face. "Yes, sweetie, there's really a baby in my belly," he replied amused.

Grey eyes widened more and Scorpius squealed, clapping his hands and scrambling off the chair, running to his daddy. Daddy turned towards him and lifted him up on his lap. Immediately he placed his hands on his daddy's stomach, furrowing his eyebrows when he felt nothing. "But daddy, I can't feel anything," he complained and pushed his hands harder against daddy's stomach.

Daddy laughed, his green eyes shining. "Honey, you won't feel anything just yet. The baby has to grow a bit more before you can feel the kicking," he explained, stroking the blond hair back.

Scorpius pouted, taking his hands away. "But when will the baby kick?" he asked, cocking his head to the right.

"I think you can feel the baby kick in a month," Papa answered, standing behind daddy with his hands on his shoulders, looking down on him.

"A month? But that's too long," he whined, pouting more.

Papa chuckled. "That's not too long. Tell you what; when daddy feels the baby kicking, he will come and tell you immediately so that you can feel the kicking too, is that okay?" he proposed.

Scorpius nodded enthusiastically, his spirits lifted up again. He could wait a month if that meant his daddy would let him feel the kicking immediately.

"To make sure you won't have to wait too long, I can already tell you that in two weeks you can see the baby already," Papa told him, rubbing over daddy's shoulders, making daddy lean into him.

Scorpius blinked. "But papa, you said that the baby will be here in six months. I can't see the baby now, he's too little. You said so," he pointed out.

Daddy laughed. "You're right, Scorpius, the baby is too little to be born now, but what your papa means is that in two weeks a nice lady will come and make an image appear above my belly that will show the baby how he or she is now," he explained. "So we can see your little brother or sister already, instead of waiting for six months."

"Oooh." Scorpius nodded and hugged daddy, laying his head against daddy's chest, listening to the comforting _thump, thump_ of daddy's heart. Then he looked up again when a question popped up in his head. "Daddy, how did the baby get in your belly?" he asked curiously. His mummy had only told him that babies came from their mummy's belly, but she had never told him how the baby got in the belly in the first place.

Both papa and daddy got very red which confused the little boy.

"Eh, the baby came in your daddy's belly, because …" Papa faltered, biting his lip.

Scorpius decided to help his papa. "Is it because you marry daddy?" he asked innocently, thinking back to when his mummy told him that first the parents had to get married to get a baby.

Daddy looked relieved. "Yes, that's why. Because we're going to marry, your little brother or sister decided it was time to get in my belly," he fumbled, hoping that the explanation would placate the boy until much, much later when he was ready for 'the' talk.

Scorpius nodded in understanding and laid his head back against daddy's chest, comforted by the thump sound of daddy's heart.

He couldn't wait until he could see his little brother or sister.

* * *

As soon as breakfast had ended, Scorpius skipped upstairs when his brother hadn't come down to eat. He trailed his hand over the white, cool railing and hummed excitedly. He still had trouble believing that he would get another sibling in just six months. Now he finally had the family he had always wanted.

With a big smile on his face, he stopped right in front of the closed door of Teddy's bedroom and knocked on it loudly. He brought his hands behind his back when the door opened after fifteen seconds, revealing a very sleepy and very annoyed dark haired Teddy, who was glaring at him through half lidded eyes.

"What do you want?" the boy growled.

Scorpius just beamed at him and slipped underneath his spread arms in the room. He bounced to the messed up bed and plopped down on it, still beaming at his brother who had closed the door and was standing with crossed arms.

"I repeat, what do you want?" Teddy asked annoyed, leaning against the closed door. He was still sour about the fact there would be a new addition to the family and Scorpius bouncing into his room uninvited didn't help improve his mood.

"Teddy, Teddy," Scorpius chirped, clapping his hands. "Do you know what's in daddy's belly?"

Teddy tensed and lowered his arms, looking away. Without acknowledging the boy on his bed, he walked over to his wardrobe and started shifting through the clothes, wondering what he would wear today. He tried to keep his mind focused on the task of choosing clothes instead of thinking of the baby, but it was rather hard when a bouncing, excited child was babbling behind his back.

"Daddy has a baby in his belly, Teddy!" Scorpius exclaimed. "We're getting a little sister or a little brother. That's fantastic, isn't it, Teddy?" He continued talking even when Teddy kept ignoring him, "Daddy said he comes to me when the baby kicks so I can feel it too!" He clapped again in his hands, the sharp smacking grating on Teddy's nerves.

Clenching his hands around the green sweater in his hands, Teddy tried to control his breathing to avoid blowing up at the blond boy. Couldn't that brat keep his mouth shut for more than two minutes? Why was he here anyway? Shouldn't he be bothering his own dad?

"What do you think, Teddy? Think we get a sister or a brother?" Scorpius asked, looking at the ceiling with a frown marring his forehead. The frown didn't last long before it was replaced with another blinding smile. "Doesn't matter, right? We still get to play with it! It's going to be so fun!"

That was all Teddy could take. He had tried to keep his patience, but there was only so much squealing and babbling he could take before he exploded. He turned around in a flash and glared harder at Scorpius, who finally noticed his brother's dark mood and shut up immediately, fiddling with his pyjamas' sleeves nervously and keeping his body completely still. He bit his lower lip and relented under the glare, staring at the white bed sheets.

"Why do you think it will be fun to have another sibling? There's nothing fun about it!" Teddy hissed, his sweater falling on the carpeted floor when his hands balled in fists at his sides.

Scorpius gulped and dared to look at the enraged boy again, feeling a bit like a deer in front of a hunter. "Why wouldn't it be fun?" he asked in a small voice. "We can play with our little brother or sister – it will be nice to play with more people."

"Do you still think it will be nice when that baby takes all the attention of your dad?" Teddy asked snidely, his brown eyes changing into poisonous green ones.

"Daddy and papa will pay attention to us too," Scorpius remarked, his voice another notch smaller. He didn't understand why Teddy was so angry about the prospect of another playmate. Why would he think that their daddies wouldn't have time for them anymore? They would still be their sons too and the little boy was sure their parents would be proud if he helped taking care of his little brother or sister. Didn't Teddy want another brother or sister?

Teddy snorted, startling Scorpius who jumped up at the unexpected sound. "Yeah right, of course. Keep on dreaming, idiot," he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

He knew what happened to children whose parents got another baby. The baby would get all the attention and the parents would be too tired to pay attention to their other children. He had seen it happening with a few of his own friends. One of his friends, Jamie, had come a year ago angry to class and wouldn't tell what was wrong. During recess, Teddy had cornered the boy and had asked what was wrong with him. It turned out that Jamie's mother had had a baby and was now paying most of her attention to the new addition to the family instead of paying attention to Jamie. Jamie had complained that his parents didn't have time for him to play with him, because they were always so tired of taking care of his baby sister who kept them up almost every night with her loud obnoxious wailing. Jamie had told him he should be happy with his dad being single, because he would always get all the attention he needed and wanted.

Teddy snorted inwardly, feeling bitter. He had thought he had been lucky too until yesterday that was. Why his dad had decided to keep the baby, he still didn't understand. His dad had always been so rational – shouldn't he have realized that it was too soon for a baby? Draco had only just asked him to marry him. Now they were already expecting a baby. It was all happening too soon. His dad should have waited longer for everything. The sudden marriage, Teddy could handle that, but a new baby? That was asking too much of him.

Scorpius narrowed his own eyes at hearing the insult and puffed his cheeks up in anger. "I'm not an idiot!" he yelled, balling his own fists, his cheeks flushed.

"Yes, you are," Teddy snapped and turned around, dismissing the trembling boy. That was until he felt fists hitting his back.

"I'm not an idiot! Take that back!" Scorpius screamed, tears of anger forming in his eyes, obscuring his vision. Never once in his life had someone called him an idiot. He was a bright and smart boy – Uncle Sev and papa always said that. He wasn't an idiot. "You're the idiot!" he threw back, wanting to hurt the older boy as much as he had hurt him. He cried out in pain when he felt hands gripping his arms tightly and pushing him away harshly.

"Stop hitting me," Teddy growled, the anger leaving a hot trail through his body and making his legs tremble.

Scorpius glared at him in response and suddenly his foot shot out and kicked Teddy hard in his leg, making him hiss in pain and falter a bit.

The anger flared up hotly and before Teddy realized it, he felt something sparking from his hands and Scorpius crying out in pain. He blinked and pulled his hands away abruptly staring at the boy in front of him who was now openly crying and gripping both his arms. A filthy smell rose up and hit Teddy in his face and he recognized it as the smell of burnt flesh. Eyes widening, he realized that his magic had burnt Scorpius' arms, as a response to his anger.

"I'm going to tell daddy and papa you hurt me!" Scorpius screamed and ran out of the room, his feet tapping loudly on the stairs.

"Shit," Teddy cursed and bit his lip, knowing he was in big trouble. He sank to the ground and leant against his wardrobe, putting his arms around his legs, hiding his face in his pulled up knees. He felt tears stinging his eyes, making them burn and he swallowed the lump away in his throat. His dad would be so angry now; he would be more convinced that the baby would be better than Teddy. Why couldn't he have controlled himself? He had never reacted that bad before – his magic had never reacted that violently.

Just yesterday he had sworn he would be the perfect son for his dad and already he had messed it up. He shivered and curled up in a tighter ball. He had blown it now. His dad would be furious with him and it was all his fault.

He stifled a sob and stayed seated on the ground, waiting in fear for the footsteps that would surely come to him soon to punish him.

* * *

"Any plans for today?" Draco asked when his son had disappeared upstairs.

Harry shrugged. "I was thinking about studying a bit more. It won't be long before I can ask to take the exam," he smiled, stretching.

Draco frowned. "You're not going to practice as Healer when you're pregnant," he admonished him. "The baby will take a lot out of you and there's no way you are going to risk your health and that of our baby."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm going to wait until after the birth. I'm not stupid." He narrowed his eyes in warning when Draco opened his mouth to reply. "Be careful with what you say next, Draco."

Draco smiled nervously, deciding it was better for his health – and his sex life – if he just kept his mouth shut. He stood up and walked over to his lover, bending down to give him a kiss. "Well, I unfortunately have to read some documents. Ah, the horror," he sighed melodramatically.

Harry chuckled and kissed him back. "Poor you," he said unsympathetically.

"Indeed poor me. Now have pity on me and give me an excuse to not have to read those documents," Draco demanded, not joking one bit. He knew he didn't have to do much, besides keeping control over the employees in the various companies spread over the world and seeing that the right documents were signed, but it was boring as hell and there were days when he wondered why he just didn't give the reign over the companies to someone else. It was especially annoying now that he had a very sexy lover that was just begging to be molested every morning. And midday. And evening. And sometimes during the night too. He couldn't help himself – all Malfoys had an eye for perfection.

"Now why would I do that?" Harry asked amused, his green eyes shining with laughter. "I can't possibly be responsible for you slacking your work, can I? Be a good boy and go do your job."

"If I have to suffer through my boring work, your arse is going to suffer tonight," Draco muttered darkly, scowling at his fiancé.

Harry just laughed and shook his head, not impressed by the threat.

They both almost jumped three feet in the air when the door banged open and a crying blond blur attached himself to Harry who put his arms around Scorpius bewildered.

"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly when Scorpius continued sobbing without saying anything.

Scorpius just shook his head and buried his face harder against Harry's stomach.

Harry looked helplessly at Draco who frowned and bent down on his knees, getting himself at eye level with his son. He began to caress the trembling back and murmured, "Scorpius, what happened? Did you hurt yourself?" He checked Scorpius' body as much as he could in the position the boy stood in and couldn't find any noticeable scratch or bruise. If he had fallen down the stairs, he wouldn't have been able to run here and get comfort from Harry.

"Scorpius, please tell us what happened," Harry cooed softly and stroked the soft, blond hair, hearing the boy sniff. Balled fists came up to catch Harry's sweater and in doing so, Harry caught a glimpse of black spots on the red sweater. One large black spot on each sleeve. Frowning, he grabbed the arms softly and brought them into the light to exam the spots better. He gasped in shock when he saw the red, shining skin underneath the ruined sleeves.

"Sweetie, how did you burn yourself?" he asked calmly, putting the boy on his lap.

Draco looked up alarmed and examined the arms himself, before cutting off the sleeves and holding the arms away from Harry above the floor, he took his wand and conjured cold water of them, making Scorpius cry out when the cold water stung his wounds.

"Sorry, but I had to clean your wound, sweetie," Draco murmured and summoned a tube of healing balm, carefully rubbing it on the blistering wounds, making Scorpius cry out harder.

Harry began to rub his back in a soothing manner, trying to distract the boy.

"Scorpius, tell me what happened," he ordered softly.

Scorpius sniffed and his whole body trembled, but he turned to face his daddy with large, teary eyes. "Teddy is angry, because I'm happy that you have a baby in your belly," he sobbed, still afraid when he thought back of what had happened in the bedroom. He still couldn't believe that his brother had been so mad at him. Why had he hurt him so badly?

Both men tensed and looked at each other over Scorpius' head. "Was Teddy the one who hurt you?" Harry asked in a controlled voice.

Scorpius shivered and nodded, burying his face in Harry's chest.

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to avoid his hands clenching around Scorpius. It wouldn't do to hurt him even more.

He had thought that Teddy was making progress with Scorpius. There hadn't been that many fights and Teddy had been polite and even played with the younger boy occasionally. Why had it gone downhill so suddenly? He assumed Teddy had lost control of his magic and burnt Scorpius with his out lash which made it even more worrying, because Teddy had never lost control of his magic this badly before. What was going on in that boy's head? Was he that upset that he would get a new sibling? Why hadn't he told him that? And why was he so upset? It wasn't as if Harry would stop loving him as soon as the baby was born. Hadn't he convinced the boy of that?

Still that was no excuse for him hurting Scorpius this badly.

"Harry?" Draco looked at him, his eyes silently asking whether he should go and talk to Teddy.

Harry shook his head and stood up, placing Scorpius on his seat. Scorpius hiccupped and rubbed in his eyes, getting tired of the crying he had done.

"I'm going to talk to Teddy," Harry muttered, sighing.

Draco stood up and took Scorpius on his hip, rubbing his back. "Are you sure? I can go talk to him," he suggested. "I don't want you to stress yourself," he added worriedly.

"I'll be fine. I'm just going to talk to him," Harry reassured him and walked out of the room, leaving Draco to comfort his son, who had started sobbing again, but now in a tired manner.

Walking up the grand stairs, Harry tried to calm himself down. He was angry that Teddy had hurt Scorpius so badly, but it wouldn't do to yell at the boy and make him more miserable. He didn't deserve that. Still he would have words with his godson – hurting other people was not acceptable, no matter how angry or upset he got.

He took a deep breath and opened the door slowly. Looking around, he finally spotted Teddy curled up in a ball against his open wardrobe, hiding his face behind his knees.

He sighed and closed the door, walking over to the trembling boy. Coming to a hold in front of Teddy, Harry crossed his arms and sighed again.

"Teddy, why did you hurt Scorpius?" he asked in a controlled voice.

It should have been impossible, but Teddy managed to curl up tighter, refusing to look up in what he was sure his dad's disappointed face.

"Teddy, answer me," Harry said a bit harder, surprised that his godson hadn't looked up and defended himself yet.

Teddy shook his head and tried to hide his sobs. He was shivering and trembling all over his body and he was terrified to look up at his dad. He had disappointed him – he heard it in his dad's voice. He didn't know what was worse - dad being angry at him or disappointed with him.

"Teddy, answer me now!" Harry repeated harshly, his patience disappearing slowly. He only wanted to know what was bothering Teddy, but the boy was making it very difficult for him to keep his patience and his anger in check.

_Those damn hormones_ , he thought sourly. _At least the nausea had finally disappeared_.

He knelt down and gripped Teddy's arms softly, pulling them away to reveal his tear stricken face, red and blotchy from the silent crying.

"Teddy," he warned him.

"I – I didn't mean to," the boy sobbed, his brown eyes staring at him scared. He got up on his knees and wanted to hug his dad, but to his horror was pushed away, his dad keeping him on arm length, his large hands still gripping his upper arms. Dad shook his head sternly, looking at him with a frown marring his forehead.

Teddy's lower lip trembled and fresh tears began to spill over from his eyes. His dad had never pushed him away before. Had he really been that bad that his dad didn't love him anymore? He hadn't meant to hurt Scorpius – it just happened. It was the younger boy's fault; if he hadn't kept on whining about the baby, Teddy wouldn't have lost his patience with him. But now his dad was furious with him and he would probably decide to leave Teddy with his grandmother, getting rid of him, because he had been a bad boy.

"Teddy, why did you hurt Scorpius?" Harry repeated, wanting a real answer. He had guessed his godson hadn't meant to hurt Scorpius, but he still needed to know why Teddy had lost control.

Teddy shook his head, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry," he kept repeating, hiccupping. He didn't want to be send away; he wanted to stay with his dad, showing him he could be a good boy.

"I know you're sorry, but why did you get angry at him?" Harry asked, still refusing to let Teddy get closer to him. He needed to hear the reason of the out lash first before he would console the boy. Otherwise these accidents were likely to happen again.

"He – he just kept babbling. He was annoying," Teddy whispered, trying to stifle his sobs. Big boys like him didn't blubber like babies. "I – I called him an idiot and he began to hit me. I grabbed his arms but then he kicked me and I got angry." He hung his head down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt him, I really didn't! I'm sorry!"

Harry sighed wearily. He knew that there was something Teddy wasn't telling him. Even if Scorpius had annoyed him and hit him, Teddy had gotten angry before that, otherwise his out last wouldn't have been that bad. "Scorpius told me you got angry at him, because he told you about the baby. Why did you get angry, Teddy?" he asked. An uneasy feeling rose up in his stomach; wasn't Teddy happy with the baby? He had assumed Teddy wouldn't mind having another sibling, but since when did assuming get him anywhere? Teddy hadn't told him what he thought of the baby he realized with dread. In fact he hadn't said a word about it, not even after Harry had reassured him he would always love him.

Teddy looked away, his arms hanging limp in Harry's hands. "Don't know," he whispered, not wanting to tell his dad what he really thought of the baby growing inside his dad. He knew that would hurt his dad and he couldn't bear the thought of angering and hurting him more.

"You don't know why you got angry?" Harry said incredulously. Teddy shook his head, refusing to look at him. "Teddy, did you get angry because of the baby?" he asked carefully.

Teddy shook his head again, snivelling a bit.

"You know you can tell me everything, you know that, right?" Harry murmured.

Teddy swallowed and he risked a quick glance at his dad's face. It didn't reveal anything. "Are you going to send me away to grandma now?" he asked in a small voice, fear slipping in his tone.

Harry stared at him surprised. "Why would I send you away?"

"Because I've been a bad boy," Teddy replied ashamed. He was startled when he was suddenly pressed up against a warm chest, arms surrounding his body and hugging him tightly.

"You silly boy," Harry sighed and stroked his hair. "Of course I'm not going to send you away. I still love you, I'll always love you, but promise me you won't hurt Scorpius again. Can you promise that?"

Teddy nodded; he would do anything if that meant his dad was happy with him and would continue to love him. "I promise," he murmured, sliding his own arms around his dad's waist.

"Good, now you have to apologize to Scorpius too," Harry said firmly, but still hugged him. "Hurting someone is never good and he deserves an apology. He'll apologize to you as well, considering he started the hitting."

Teddy nodded, happy and relieved that his dad still loved him.

* * *

Scorpius had been wary when Teddy had come up to him to apologize – which was of course understandable, considering his brother had burned his arms just an hour ago. Teddy had refused to look him in his eyes, but he had muttered a soft "I'm sorry for hurting you. I didn't mean to.".

Scorpius had apologized as well, because he realized he shouldn't have hit and kicked his brother.

After their apologies, they had been both hugged by their dads after having promised to try and get along.

* * *

_22th of April_

Scorpius had been excited all morning. Papa had told him that today the nice lady would come over and show him a picture of his little brother or sister. He could hardly wait! He had been bouncing and kicking his legs back and forth underneath his desk, while trying to concentrate on the lesson. It had been hard and Uncle Sev had to slap his desk multiple times to catch his attention again. Uncle Sev had never scowled so much to him as today, but he couldn't help himself! He was just so excited to finally see the baby.

They were now waiting in daddy's room, because papa had decided it would easier for daddy if he could lie down during the examination. His daddy had protested, but had to give up eventually.

Scorpius looked at Teddy who was huddled up on a large cushion in a corner reading a book. Since their fight, neither one of them had talked about the baby again. Even though Scorpius wanted nothing more than chatter about his little sister or brother, he was afraid that Teddy would snap again and hurt him again. His burn marks had healed, but he still hadn't forgotten the furious look in Teddy's eyes. It still made him shiver when he remembered that look.

"Are you cold, Scorpius?" Daddy asked concerned. He was lying propped up against various pillows on the bed, flicking through a magazine. Papa was leaning against the wall, massaging daddy's legs that were placed on his legs.

Scorpius shook his head. "No, I'm not cold," he chirped and abandoned his puzzle to crawl on the bed next to daddy. "When is the nice lady coming?"

"She should be here any minute now," Daddy smiled, stroking his hair briefly.

As if on cue, a house elf popped in the room, bowing. "Master Draco, lady Lovegood waiting in hallway."

Papa smiled. "Let her come up."

The house elf – Scorpius always forgot their names, because there were so many of them – nodded and after bowing again, he disappeared again.

Four minutes later, the door opened and a pretty, blonde haired woman entered the room with a dreamy smile.

"Hello Harry. I hope you and the baby have been well," she said, skipping over to the bed, while looking around her in interest.

Daddy smiled. "The baby and I are fine, Luna, thanks for asking."

Luna blinked and suddenly looked at Scorpius, who blushed at the intense attention. "And you are Scorpius," she smiled. "You're a cute boy."

"Thank you, Miss," Scorpius stammered, blushing harder.

"Name is Luna, sweetie." She twirled around again, directing her dreamy gaze at Teddy. "And you are Teddy."

Teddy nodded warily. He didn't recognize this weird lady – still it seemed that his dad knew her. Had they met before?

"Good, good," she smiled happily before turning to his dad again. "Ready to see the baby?" she asked, staring at a bird that was flying in front of the window.

Daddy nodded. "Yes, Teddy, come sit here so you can look too," he smiled brightly and patted the place on his other side.

Teddy hesitated, not really interested in seeing the baby, but he remembered his promise to make his dad happy and walked over to him, sitting down next to him gingerly. Dad smiled excitedly and grabbed his hand. Draco scooted a bit closer to them, eyeing Luna warily. He still didn't trust her completely – hell, how was he supposed to trust her when she kept diverting her attention to everything that moved? He hoped she wouldn't budge up the spell. He winced when that thought crossed his mind and he gripped Harry's leg.

Luna hummed and after checking his vitals, she jumped up and pointed her wand at his stomach.

"Declaro natus," she said clearly and a blue bell surrounded Harry's stomach before slowly raising up in the air and expanding until it formed a screen; it was fuzzy and grey and when one looked intently there could be seen something moving. Another swish of her wand and suddenly a quick _thump, thump_ was heard in the silent room.

"Is that … the baby's heart?" Harry asked, swallowing the lump in his throat. He had never thought he would hear something so beautiful. Luna nodded happily and looked at the screen.

"Yes, that's your baby's heart. It's beating healthy." She beamed and pointed at a fuzzy blob in the centre of the screen. "Look, here's your baby."

Harry's vision got fuzzy and he realized a few seconds later that he was crying. "Oh my god, I can't believe it," he laughed through his tears.

"In a month I should be able to tell you whether it's a boy or a girl," Luna informed them, sitting down on a conjured bean bag, giving the little family the time to look at the baby.

"The baby is so tiny," Scorpius said in awe, staring at the screen. So this was his little brother or sister. He could hardly wait to meet him or her.

"Yes, it's tiny," Draco agreed, a lump constricting his throat. He had been there with all the examinations of Scorpius of course and had known what to expect, but it still stole his breath away to finally get a look at the baby he created with Harry, the product of their love. It was so beautiful. He blinked the tears away and caught Harry's gaze and was overwhelmed with the love he felt for this man, the one who gave him joy and love back – and their own baby. He leant over to Harry and pressed his lips against his, tasting the salt of his tears on his lips.

"I love you so much," he murmured.

"I love you too," Harry whispered, smiling.

In unison their eyes went back to the screen, watching how their baby was slowly moving and listening to the calming heartbeat while Luna was humming in the background.

Teddy stared at the screen and then looked down again. He blinked tears away too – but his tears were of a completely other nature than the ones his dad was shedding.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: nothing special for this chapter
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 39**

_10th of May: five months pregnant_

"So when do you want to have the wedding?" Draco asked suddenly and put the newspaper down.

Harry looked up surprised and placed the mug back on the counter. They were in the kitchen; Draco sitting at the table reading the paper and Harry leaning against the kitchen sink, looking out of the window and keeping an eye on the boys who were playing in the garden. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, so Scorpius had immediately grasped the chance to play outside, Teddy reluctantly following him. So far they appeared to get along just fine, not fighting, just passing a ball back and forth, but Harry thought it was better to be safe and keep an eye on them in case Teddy got angry again. He knew there was something that his godson hadn't told him, but he didn't know how he would breach the subject without driving Teddy further in his shell.

"Eh, I haven't thought about it to be honest," Harry admitted sheepishly.

"Well, I have," Draco admitted. "I was thinking we could have the wedding after the baby is born, considering it would be too much of a hassle to prepare everything quickly now. I didn't think you would want to marry with a big belly." At Harry's raised eyebrow, he continued quickly, "Not that I would mind marrying you with a big belly; you're beautiful no matter how you look like, but I just thought that you wouldn't want to, so …" he trailed off, knowing there was no way he could come out of this graciously without offending Harry one way or the other.

Harry chuckled to his immense surprise. "God, you absolutely suck at talking yourself out of nasty situations."

Draco rolled his eyes, but smiled, pleased that he hadn't offended his lover. "So what do you think of it?"

"I'm okay with that," Harry smiled and came over to him, handing over a cup of tea.

"Thanks," Draco muttered and turned to face Harry – well, more Harry's stomach. He ran his hands over his clothed stomach, before slipping his hands underneath the shirt, caressing the bulge that could now be clearly seen. "I'll never get tired of feeling your belly," he muttered and kissed the bulge.

"As if I haven't noticed that," Harry smiled, running his own hand over his stomach. He loved waking up and caressing his stomach, knowing that there was a real baby inside of him, growing. Of course he had known for months that he was pregnant, but now it could be seen clearly.

A loud 'tick' on the window startled them both. A black owl was waiting on the windowsill, staring at them with his huge, round, golden eyes.

"God, those eyes are creeping me out," Harry muttered and walked over to the window, opening it to relieve the owl of his burden. As soon as the letter was in Harry's hands, the owl flew off, clearly not been told to wait for an answer.

The letter was sealed with the stamp of the Ministry and Harry frowned, wondering what they wanted now.

Scanning the letter, he narrowed his eyes and huffed. Of course; he should have known what it was about. It had been the same every year since Voldemort's defeat. How could he have forgotten the date?

"Harry, what is it about?" Draco asked curiously when Harry didn't turn back around.

"It's from the Ministry; the memorial of Voldemort's defeat is in one week and they want me to attend," Harry sighed and turned around to face him, giving him the letter.

Draco looked up after reading. "And what are you going to do?" he asked. He had completely forgotten about the annually memorial. He had attended every year, but that was more because he was practically obligated, because he was a Malfoy. Although he doubted the Ministry would have cared if he hadn't shown up – then again, maybe they would find his non-attendance an insult and try to throw him in jail for simply being a Malfoy. He sighed inwardly, once again cursing his father for making the worst mistake he could make.

Harry sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "Attending; I don't want to get more letters demanding that I attend. We just go for a few hours and then get back," he muttered.

"Are you sure?" Draco searched his face for something. "You know you're more tired in the evening," he reminded him.

Green eyes rolled in annoyance. "I know that, but I'm sure I can manage for a few hours."

Draco pursed his lips. "Fine, just make sure you don't overexert yourself."

"Draco, I'm only five months far; you can't expect me to lie the whole day in bed," Harry said irritated.

Draco raised his hands in the air. "I'm just concerned, that's all," he pacified his lover.

Harry rolled his eyes, but didn't reply.

* * *

_17th of May_

One week later, Harry was removing the wrinkles out of Teddy's suit, fitted especially for him. It consisted out of black pants and a dark blue, button up shirt. Dark blue robes were thrown over it.

Harry himself was dressed in grey pants (specially ordered to fit his growing stomach) with a light green shirt and black robes completing his outfit.

"Accio brush," Harry muttered absentmindedly and a blue brush flew towards him. He stared at Teddy's messy, golden brown hair in contemplation. "Teddy, are you sure you're going to keep this hair?"

Teddy blinked surprised, looking up confused. "Yeah, I like this hair. Why? Should I choose something else?" he asked uncertainly.

"No, no, I like it," Harry assured him. "I just had to know, because I have to brush your hair."

Teddy was sitting with his back to his dad on his bed and when dad started to brush his hair, he leant back in his dad's chest, enjoying the feeling. He had always had enjoyed having his hair brushed; it was such a soothing motion. He leant back a bit further, but jumped when something poked him in his back. He turned around quickly and stared at his dad; only now did he notice that his dad's stomach had grown quite a bit the last few weeks.

Dad laughed nervously, a hand stroking his stomach. "Sorry, you can't completely lean against me now for a few more months," he apologized, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Ah, okay," Teddy muttered absentmindedly; turning back around and leaning more carefully, avoiding the stomach.

Dad hummed quietly while he continued his brushing and Teddy's eyelids started to droop a little, soothed by the humming.

He was brought back from his dreamy state when dad flicked his nose. "Hey now, don't fall asleep yet. Keep that for the memorial," he said drily.

"Sorry," Teddy muttered, blushing.

"Harry, Teddy, are you ready? We have to leave!" Draco shouted from downstairs.

"We're coming!" Harry yelled back and grabbed Teddy's hand. "Now, you know what you have to do, right, sweetie?"

Teddy nodded. "I have to smile and be polite even if the women try to pinch my cheeks and squeal how cute I am," he replied, scowling when he remembered all the women who would say how cute he was and try to pinch his cheeks and hug him to their breasts – suffocating him during that action – in hopes of catching his dad's attention and show him how good they were with his kid. He was always happy when his dad ignored those screeching women. He shivered; maybe he wouldn't be ambushed this time when they saw that his dad was already taken.

"Yes." His dad nodded. "Otherwise stick with me and Draco; seeing Draco with us will piss them off for sure." He winked and the boy laughed.

"What are you muttering about?" Draco asked suspiciously, plucking invisible dust of his grey robes.

"Nothing," Harry replied smoothly and grinned when Teddy laughed.

Scorpius was bouncing in one spot; he was dressed in grey pants and a light blue shirt with white robes.

"Can we go now?" he asked impatiently.

"Sure, sure. Calm down," Draco smiled and grabbed his hand. "We're taking a Portkey. It's waiting outside."

Because Harry was too far along now to Apparate without causing the baby harm, they had ordered a Portkey to take them to the event.

Scorpius grinned and skipped next to his dad, barely able to contain his enthusiasm. The ladies at the memorial were always nice to him, cooing how sweet he was and giving him sweets. Of course the beginning of the event was really boring, but the candy afterwards made it all better.

"Are you sure you're ready to come out in public?" Draco murmured in Harry's ear when they walked outside.

Harry nodded. "I'm not ashamed of you, Draco," he said firmly. "We're engaged now; we can't hide ourselves for the rest of our lives. Screw the public if they don't like it."

"I hope you don't mean to screw them literally," Draco replied drily, then he sobered up. "And the baby? They will notice your belly as soon as they pay attention to you."

They could have covered his belly up with Concealment charms, but there was a chance that the charm would have reacted badly on the baby; that and Harry wasn't ashamed anymore to show his pregnancy. He was proud of the baby he was expecting and he didn't want to cover it up as if he was ashamed.

"I don't care," Harry insisted. "I don't want to hide our baby. I'm not ashamed of it. Are you?"

"Of course not!" Draco replied insulted and placed his hand on Harry's stomach. "I can never be ashamed of something we created. I just wanted to make sure that you were ready for the public's reaction."

"Of course I'm ready; otherwise I wouldn't be here now," Harry muttered, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek.

Draco smiled and stopped when they reached the Portkey; it was a small, golden cauldron that was lightly glowing.

"All right, sweeties, grab the cauldron and don't let go until you hit the floor," Harry instructed and grabbed one of the golden handles.

The boys nodded and grabbed the edge of the cauldron. Three seconds later, the cauldron glowed brightly and they were transported away.

They landed in the Great Hall of Hogwarts (only on this day of the year, the Headmistress McGonagall lowered the protective wards surrounding the castle) and were greeted with loud chatter of the wizards and witches mingling with each other. Most of them had participated in the war either by fighting or by lending a helping hand in the hospital. But everyone shared two things in common: they had lost family and friends in the war and they were all happy it had finally ended.

Harry and Draco began to move to the front of the Hallway where during normal schooldays the Head table stood. People they passed, stopped chattering loudly and began to whisper while staring at the two wizards.

Harry swallowed, but forced himself to look forwards, ignoring all the whispering and staring wizards and witches. He started a bit when he felt a warm hand grabbing his own and he looked sideways right into warm, grey eyes.

"I'm here," Draco whispered and gave his hand a squeeze.

Harry nodded, smiling faintly. Scorpius skipped ahead of them, beaming every time he heard a witch cooing at him and telling him how sweet and cute he was. Teddy for his part stuck close to his dad, trying to ignore the cooing directed at him. He really didn't like social gatherings like this, but he had to put up with it because his dad was an important man in the Wizarding world.

McGonagall looked up when her two ex-students arrived in front of her.

"Mister Malfoy, Mister Potter. I'm happy to see you are well," she greeted them, her stern, piercing eyes softening just a bit. Underneath her stern face, she was really glad to see one of her most favourite students arriving healthily on the gathering. She had heard that Potter had chosen to be an Auror, just like his father, and had been happy when she heard he had succeeded. Towards Malfoy she had more neutral feelings. She had always found him too snobby and too arrogant, but with Lucius as his father, that couldn't have been avoided. Still it surprised her immensely to see the two school enemies standing side by side and – she took a double take. Were they holding hands?

"Hello, professor," Harry smiled, excited to see his old Head back. She hadn't changed that much; her hair had gotten just a bit greyer, but she looked just as stern and alert as when he had been in school. There was no doubt that she was able to lead the school as Headmistress.

"Oh please, Potter, call me Minerva. I haven't been your professor for so many years," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

"All right, Minerva," Harry conceded, feeling weird to use that name.

She turned towards Draco, who regarded her warily. "Well, Mister Malfoy, should I be worried that you're corrupting one of my ex-students?" she asked drily, looking pointedly at their intertwined fingers.

Only a light blush appeared on Draco's face, while Harry blushed more fiercely. "You don't have to worry about that, Madam. I think that Harry is corrupting me actually," he replied smoothly.

A tiny smile appeared on the woman's face. "Maybe you need the corruption," she said amused. She took a better look at their hands and noticed something shimmering in the dim light. "And apparently congratulations are in order," she remarked. "When will the wedding occur?" she lowered her voice, to make sure no one would be able to listen in.

Potter and Malfoy looked at each other, apparently conversing with each other non-verbally. Minerva thought she would never see the day where Malfoy and Potter wouldn't need words to express their thoughts. For that matter, she would never have thought they would end up together, but life had a strange way of continuing.

The two men had come to a conclusion apparently, because Malfoy stepped closer to his fiancé and brought a hand to rest on Potter's stomach. Minerva raised a thin eyebrow; did that gesture mean what she thought it meant?

Malfoy smirked. "We marry as soon as the baby is born," he answered, pride clearly audible in his voice.

Minerva blinked, but smiled again. "Congratulations on your baby."

Potter's blush intensified. "Thank you," he smiled.

"How far along are you?" she asked interested. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the two little boys – Potter's godson and Malfoy's son – looking around warily, the blond boy bouncing lightly on his feet.

"Five months," Potter replied, his hand joining the one of Malfoy on his stomach.

"Am I correct in assuming that the public doesn't know about your engagement or your pregnancy?" Minerva asked wryly.

"Not until now, no," Potter admitted sheepishly. "But I suppose it won't be long before they notice the ring." He shrugged.

"Do you need me to cast a spell, so that no one can go blabbing it to others?" she proposed, remembering how much Potter appreciated his privacy. She couldn't blame the young man.

Potter shook his head. "No, you don't have to. They'll find out soon enough anyway that there will be a new addition to the family and it would be hard to ignore the fact that I'm with Draco now."

"Scorpius, give me that candy," Malfoy suddenly said sternly and held out his hand to his pouting son.

Scorpius pouted harder, but gave up on his candy and dropped the pieces in his papa's hand.

"No sweets for you until after dinner," Papa reminded him and put the candy in his pocket.

Scorpius stuck out his lower lip and looked at daddy with pleading eyes.

Daddy laughed softly. "Sorry, sweetie, but papa is right. After dinner you can eat the sweets if you want."

"Okay," Scorpius muttered.

Teddy scoffed, but didn't say anything, choosing to grab his dad's hand and looking around the hall.

"Well, you better go pick out your seats," Minerva remarked. "It looks like the Minister is about to start his speech."

They said their goodbyes and turned around to search for a good spot. Harry scanned the rows of empty seats and froze when he spotted familiar red and brown hair sitting in the front to his right. They hadn't noticed him yet, because they were quietly conversing with their five year old daughter Rose.

Harry swallowed the painful lump in his throat. "Draco, can we sit in the back, please?"

Draco followed his gaze and saw Weasley and Granger not far away from them. His eyes hardened and he nodded, steering Teddy and Scorpius to the back of the hall, Harry following. They nodded to people they knew and smiled, but didn't stop to chatter.

"Draco, here!" a male voice called out. Blaise sat in the back, smirking, with an arm around Daphne.

"Hello Blaise, Daphne," Draco greeted and sat down next to Blaise, pulling Harry next to him. Scorpius climbed on the chair next to his mother while Teddy chose to sit next to his dad.

"I never thought I would see the day when you would pick Potter as your partner," Blaise smirked. "Then again, you two were obsessed with each other during our school years."

"Oh, fuck off, you twit," Draco retorted good naturedly.

"Draco," Harry scolded and nodded to Scorpius and Teddy. He didn't have to worry about them picking up the foul word, because Scorpius was giggling about something to his mother and Teddy was looking at someone in front of them.

"Mommy, guess what, guess what?" Scorpius said excitedly.

Teddy scowled, having a feeling as to where the conversation would turn now.

Daphne smiled bemused. "What, Scorpius?"

"Daddy has a baby in his belly!" Scorpius clapped his hands, a big grin splitting his face.

Daphne's eyes widened and she and her smirking husband looked at a red faced Harry and a proud Draco.

"No way," she said incredulously. "Seriously?"

"Yes, he's five months along now," Draco smirked proudly, placing his hand on the slightly protruding stomach of his lover.

"Draco, you dog!" Blaise crowed laughing. "Knocking him up before you are even married – shame on you!"

"Uncle Blaise, papa is going to marry daddy," Scorpius chirped and pointed to the rings.

"Well, congratulations, Draco, Potter," Blaise grinned, reaching out to shake Harry's hand.

Harry smiled bashfully. "Thanks."

"This is so wonderful!" Daphne smiled. "Have you felt it kicking yet?"

"No, not yet." Harry shook his head, his hand absentmindedly caressing his stomach.

"Oh well, that will happen soon," Daphne assured him. Suddenly she grinned evilly, making Harry wary. "I get to be the baby's godmother!"

Before the couple could either agree or disagree, the Minister (a tall, grey haired man with a broad chest and a stern aura surrounding him) attracted their attention by producing three small bangs. The gathered mass quietened down and looked expectantly at the front.

"We are gathered here today to remember all the people who sacrificed their lives to end the terror of Voldemort …"

* * *

The service lasted for two and a half hours before they were informed that they could enjoy drinks and snacks outside near the Black Lake.

Draco and Harry stood up, stretching their stiff joints. Daphne was waking up Scorpius, who had fallen asleep after an hour of listening; Teddy was rubbing his eyes, yawning – he had started to feel bored after the first half hour which then turned in sleepiness. It had taken a huge effort to stay awake. At least now the most boring part was over.

"Are you okay?" Draco murmured, caressing Harry's back.

Harry smiled faintly. "Yes, I'm okay. Don't worry."

Draco frowned, but turned to follow Daphne and Blaise out of the hall. Scorpius had grabbed his mother's hand and to Teddy's annoyance he was forced to hold Daphne's hand, because she didn't want to relinquish the hold on the boy. It felt strange to hold a feminine hand, but it wasn't too terrible. Teddy was merely annoyed that he hadn't been given a choice as to who to hold on.

Several people bumped into them, all chattering loudly, some wiping away some tears, other laughing. When they stepped outside, they blinked when the bright sunlight pained their eyes, sensitive after being cooped up for nearly three hours in a darkened room.

"Dad, can I go play with Jamie and Max?" Teddy asked, after having spotted his two friends near the lake.

Harry nodded. "You can, but be careful, okay?"

Teddy nodded and ran to his two friends.

"I'm going to visit Hagrid. I haven't seen him in a year," Harry murmured to Draco.

Draco cocked his head. "I'm coming with you."

Harry blinked surprised, wondering if he had heard it wrong. "You're coming with me? But you don't like Hagrid," he said confused.

Draco made an impatient noise. "Of course I don't like him, but that big oaf will probably hug you and that will make him squeeze you to death and the last thing we need is that idiot hurting the baby, because he's too enthusiastic."

"Fine, but can you please refrain from the name calling?" Harry sighed.

Draco just smirked.

"Sweetie, can you stay with your mummy for a while? Papa and I are going to visit someone."

Scorpius smiled, his cheeks already swollen with a sandwich. He nodded, knowing it was impolite to speak with his mouth full.

"That oaf better be careful," Draco muttered darkly, following Harry on the path leading to Hagrid's home.

Harry rolled his eyes and just grabbed Draco's hand. He hoped Draco would be able to behave himself. The last thing he needed was to keep his old friend and his lover apart.

"Hagrid, are you there?" Harry called through the closed door.

They heard shuffling sounds in the cottage and the barking of Fang.

"Oh, jus' go back, you dum' dog," Hagrid muttered and three seconds later the door opened and the huge form of the half giant was revealed in the doorway. "'Arry! Good to see you again!" He stepped forward to hug Harry, but was stopped when Draco pushed Harry back. Hagrid frowned. "Now see 'ere, Malfoy, I don' know what you're doin' but I want to hug 'Arry, so be a good lad and let him go."

"Yeah, right," Draco snorted. "I don't care that you want to hug him, but you have another thing coming if you think I would just let you crush him and our baby."

"Way to break the news to him," Harry muttered exasperatedly and rolled his eyes.

Hagrid's gentle, black eyes widened and he stared at Harry's stomach. "You're pregnant, 'Arry?"

Harry scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, a lot of things have happened during the year I didn't see you. I'm now together with Draco – long story – and I'm pregnant." He laughed nervously, wondering if Hagrid would freak out. He wouldn't blame him if he did. It was still a bit surreal to him and he was the one expecting the baby.

"I'm so 'appy for you!" Hagrid suddenly cried and carefully touched Harry's rounded stomach, smothering his tears in his big handkerchief. "Your parents would 'ave been so 'appy too!"

Harry blinked away some tears and smiled. He had wanted to hear that confirmation from someone who had known his parents. It relieved him to know that his child would have been welcomed by his parents.

Draco huffed, but didn't stop Hagrid from hugging his lover, though he kept a careful eye that the half giant didn't press too hard.

* * *

They stayed for a quarter of an hour, before Hagrid told them he had to go check on the Centaurs. Apparently there were some quarrels between some of the Centaurs and Hagrid wanted to see if he could help them solve the fights.

"I see you soon, 'Arry!" Hagrid waved them out.

"See, Hagrid isn't that bad, now is he?" Harry asked amused as they made their way back to the lake.

"Hmph, I tolerate him for your sake," Draco muttered, crossing his arms.

Harry gripped his arm, smiling widely. "And I thank you for that." He gave him a kiss. Suddenly he stopped and placed his hands on his stomach. "Oh!" he said shocked, bending his head.

"Harry, what's wrong? Is something wrong with the baby? Does your stomach hurt?" Draco asked, panicking, feeling Harry's stomach to check whether it wasn't too hard. Harry wasn't losing the baby now, was he? He was past his first trimester – it shouldn't happen now. They couldn't lose the baby now; had Harry overexerted himself with coming today?

Draco was shocked when Harry started to laugh happily. "Harry?" he asked uncertainly. Laughing was a good thing, right?

"The baby kicked!" Harry looked up at him with bright, shining eyes, happiness dancing in his emerald green eyes. "I just felt the baby kicking!"

"What?" Draco asked dumbfounded.

"Here." Harry grabbed his hand and led it underneath his shirt, tracing slowly over his protruding stomach with a concentrated frown on his face. "Wait, it's still moving."

Draco gasped when he felt a faint kick against the palm of his hand. He knelt down on the grass, not caring whether his pants got stained and pushed both hands against Harry's stomach, feeling another faint kick.

"Merlin," he breathed and smiled tenderly. He looked up in Harry's eyes and a single tear drop landed on his hand. Slowly he stood up and put his arms around Harry, tilting his head back to kiss him tenderly on his lips. "I love you and I love our baby," he whispered, wiping Harry's cheeks.

Harry smiled back. "I love you too."

Another faint kick let them know the baby had heard them.

* * *

"I'll go see what the boys are up to," Draco said a few hours later, after they had returned home. He kissed Harry and winked before leaving the room.

Harry smiled and removed his robe and shirt. He slipped on a wider, grey shirt and slipped out his pants, choosing to just sit on the bed in a shirt and boxer short. If the looks that Draco had been throwing at him the moment they had felt their baby kicking was anything to go by to, it wouldn't be long before his shirt and boxer short were off anyway.

Out of habit he checked his pockets before he placed them on a chair and was surprised to feel a folded paper. Frowning he opened the parchment. The letter wasn't very long.

' _Potter_

_Glad to see my potion worked. How does it feel, being full with your lover's child? Do you enjoy it? You know what they say about pregnancy - it makes the mother glow. And you were definitely glowing at the memorial. I think you can expect to see yourself in the newspapers tomorrow. It's not every day that the famous Harry Potter comes out in public with his new lover and his new child._

_If I were you, I would enjoy your time with your family. You never know what can happen …_

_Looking forward to meet you again._

_Sincerely_

_An Admirer'_

Cold dread filled Harry's body.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: lemon
> 
> Also it may seem like Harry forgets about the note rather easily, but I was told that some pregnant women forgets things more easily during that period.  
> And yes, I'm aware that Dragon Pox is described as an incredibly severe disease, but I adjusted it for this story, because I couldn't come up with any other name
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 40**

_17th of May_

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. How … When … The murderer had been at the memorial? He had been right there, close to his family … Harry's knees buckled and he sank down on the bed, staring at the note that seemed to mock him. How could he not have noticed someone slipping this in his pocket? He remembered being pushed against when they were making their way out of the hall – had that been the moment where the killer had been near him? And the boys had just been walking there … They could have been kidnapped or hurt …

Harry closed his eyes and leant forwards, his hands supporting his head. He couldn't believe this had happened right underneath his nose.

"Shit," he whispered, crumpling up the note. Should he tell Draco about the note? He bit his lip and stared at the opposite wall. If he told him, he wouldn't be allowed to go outside for as long as the killer was on the loose. He would be kept inside for Merlin knew how long. He really didn't like that prospect. But on the other hand, it was the safety of his family that was on stake here.

"God damn it," he growled and threw the note against the wall. This was getting too much for him. Why was this killer so obsessed with him? Did he have a personal grudge against him?

_Well, that narrows it down_ , Harry thought sarcastically. A soft kick against his bladder made him jump and he placed his hand on his stomach, rubbing slow circles on it. How was he going to solve this?

"Teddy is reading a book and Scorpius is playing with his toys." Draco suddenly entered the room, startling Harry who stood up.

"That's nice," he said distracted, looking out of the window; his hand still rubbing his stomach. It had become a habit now to touch and rub his stomach.

Draco's eyes lit up and he eyed Harry's body hungrily. Harry hadn't gained that much weight – most of it was situated on his stomach and it only added to his sexiness. He could never get enough of him. Slowly, he stalked forwards and surprised Harry by wrapping his arms around his stomach, pushing him back against his chest.

"Draco, what …" Harry began surprised.

"What do you say of discovering whether or not our baby likes to know how much we love each other?" Draco whispered in his ear, slipping his hands underneath the shirt.

"That sounded so wrong," Harry chuckled weakly, still debating whether he should tell Draco about the little note or not. Before he could make a decision however, his attention was diverted to a hand fondling his chest and a mouth sucking his neck.

"Maybe, but you know you're going to like it," Draco whispered seductively in his ear, making him shiver.

"Hm, Draco, I have to tell you something," Harry began and moaned when Draco pushed his hard member against his arse, both his hands now straying underneath his shirt, cupping his stomach.

Draco grinned and turned him around, pushing Harry back on the bed before crawling on top of him, careful not to put too much weight on his stomach. His lips trailed a path from Harry's temple to his ear, wherein he whispered, "And what do you need to tell me, baby?", before finding his favourite spot to suck on, just below Harry's ear. He smirked when he heard Harry's breath hitch and he pushed back eagerly against the hips that rose up to meet him.

"Eh," Harry started, but for the life of him, he couldn't quite remember what he was going to tell Draco. Something about a note, he was sure of that. But what was so important about that note?

"OH!" He bucked his hips and moaned loudly when Draco cupped the growing bulge in his pants.

Draco grinned deviously and with a whispered spell 'nostrum vestem poneo', their clothes disappeared in a flash and reappeared again on a chair.

Harry blinked surprised when he felt the cool air hitting his naked skin. "What?" He blushed when he noticed they were both naked and suddenly feeling conscious about being naked in full daylight with his belly, he tried to hide underneath the sheets.

Draco was having none of that. He grabbed Harry's hands and clasped them around his neck, simultaneously grinding down with his hips, drawing out a low groan from his lover.

"Don't hide. I like looking at you," he murmured against rose lips.

Harry's cheeks reddened a bit more and he hid his face against Draco's shoulder. He shivered when he felt hands caressing his chest and stomach, feeling them glide lower and lower, until they started to stroke his legs. He curled his legs around Draco's waist and focused his attention on the pale, naked chest, running his hands up and down, his tongue tracing his collarbone.

"Shit," Draco hissed and had enough presence of mind to mutter a quick Silencing charm and a Locking charm on the door, before dropping his wand on the nightstand and searching Harry's lips to kiss him harshly, nipping at his lower lip until Harry gasped and opened his mouth for him. They groaned in unison when their tongues touched and curled around each other; each taking turns to suck at the other one's tongue.

It wasn't long before harsh panting and muffled moans were heard in the room and Draco pressed their hard cocks against each other, the sweat on their bodies making it easier to glide against each other.

While Harry was busy kissing his neck, Draco's hand fumbled in the top drawer of his nightstand, cursing himself once again for putting away the lube where he couldn't reach it immediately. He really needed to place that tube near the front in the drawer; it would save him a lot of time he could have spent worshiping Harry's body.

"It's in the back of the drawer," Harry murmured against his lips before claiming them eagerly.

Draco frowned in concentration, but grinned in the kiss when his fingers felt the cool pack of lube.

"You know you could have used accio?" Harry suggested, pulling away from Draco a bit and relaxing against the pillows, breathing heavily.

Draco paused in his movement of applying the lube on his fingers and scowled at his smirking lover. "Oh, shut up," he murmured. "Who thinks of using a spell when he's about to fuck a gorgeous body?"

"You're so charming," Harry chuckled and trembled in anticipation when Draco pushed his legs open and settled himself between them.

Draco grinned and placed a short, sweet kiss on Harry's lips. "Admit it; you love my charm," he said cheekily and slowly slid one finger in Harry's arse, feeling the muscles contract around his finger and sucking it further into the tight heat.

Harry took a shuddering breath and opened his legs wider. He clasped his hands around Draco's neck and pulled him lower to kiss his lips. "Who says I don't just love your body?" He winked and groaned throatily when a second finger joined the stretching.

"I can live with that," Draco smirked and pushed his fingers deeper, knowing exactly where to hit to make his lover scream.

"FUCK, DRACO!" Harry yelled and threw his head in a pillow, eyes shutting, his whole body trembling.

Draco looked at him surprised – he knew Harry was very responsive in bed, but he hadn't expected that. _Must be the pregnancy hormones making him more sensitive_ , he mused, pressing hot open mouthed kisses in Harry's neck and on his collarbone, listening to the erratic heartbeat and the harsh panting of Harry. A shock went through his body when a slick, hot hand wrapped around his erection and stroked up and down. He looked up in green blazing eyes and swallowed.

"Enough preparation – I want you to fuck me now," Harry demanded, slipping his legs around Draco's waist, bringing him closer to his hips.

"So pushy," Draco muttered, but couldn't find it in him to resist – why would he? He slipped his fingers out of Harry, electing a soft moan and slid his hands on Harry's arse, lifting it up a bit. Because he didn't want to press too much weight on Harry's stomach, he had to lift up Harry's hips a bit before entering him – not that he complained. It gave him the chance to slide even deeper in his lover and wasn't that something he loved to do.

"You ready?" he asked breathlessly and pressed his hard, leaking cock against the stretched entrance.

Harry nodded impatiently and huffed a bit. "Yes, get on with it." He yanked Draco's head down and kissed him harshly, biting softly on his lower lip and slipping his tongue inside as soon as Draco opened his mouth with a groan.

Draco smirked against the bruising kiss and without slowing down, he pushed in with one long stroke, only stopping when he was buried completely in Harry. He held himself still and slowly caressed Harry's side, cupping his stomach and kissing his neck softly to relax him more.

Harry closed his eyes and slowed down his breathing. No matter how many times they already had done it, he would always have to have a moment to relax himself, especially when Draco pushed without stopping once. He opened his eyes after a minute and looked straight in burning, grey eyes, the owner of them trembling in an effort to keep completely still, sweat rolling down his back.

Smiling, Harry reached up a bit to kiss him softly on his bruised, swollen lips – his own weren't in a better shape.

"You can move," he breathed against Draco's mouth and took a sharp breath when Draco slowly pulled out before pushing back in, setting a slow rhythm.

Hands tightened on tanned hips and kisses grew harder when Draco sped up, hitting Harry's prostrate dead on each time he slammed back inside, making Harry moan and groan and whimper when Draco swallowed his groans with his mouth.

Harry's hands scrambled to grab the headboard when Draco's thrusts turned harder and tightened his legs around his waist, sucking on the other one's tongue, mewling softly when a hand wrapped around his leaking cock, tugging gently at it.

Harry's back arched and his mouth opened in a soundless scream when a bright light filled his mind and warmth pooled in his stomach before he came against Draco's stomach hard, clenching around Draco's cock inside of him.

"Fu-fuck," Draco muttered through clenched teeth when the tight passage tightened even more, but kept thrusting, his face buried in Harry's shoulder, too wrapped up in feeling hot tight heat all around him, to kiss.

A whispered 'love you' was his undoing and he came hard, his hips riding out the waves of his orgasm, his scream muffled against sweaty skin.

He let himself fall next to Harry, carefully pulling out and pulling Harry in his arms, one arm underneath Harry's back and one arm around his round belly.

For a while, it was silent aside from the sound of their heavy breathing and the vague singing of birds outside.

"Fuck, that was amazing," Harry breathed out, grinning.

Draco smirked and kissed him softly, breaking off the kiss abruptly when a kick inside Harry's stomach was aimed at his hand.

"The baby is an active one," he muttered drily. Harry snorted.

"You're not the one who's constantly feeling it." Harry yawned, his eyes half lidded.

Draco looked at him amused. "Go to sleep, we still have two hours before dinner."

"Hm, 'kay," Harry mumbled and closed his eyes, his head cushioned on Draco's shoulder.

The note was completely forgotten underneath the desk.

* * *

Harry frowned when after ten minutes of waiting only Teddy had showed up for dinner; Scorpius was nowhere to be seen.

"Teddy, sweetie, do you know where Scorpius is?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

Draco frowned too and looked contemplatively up to the ceiling, his hand tracing circles on Harry's stomach.

Teddy shook his head. "No, I came down immediately when the elf called me for dinner. I haven't seen him after we came home," he muttered, taking a sip of his apple juice.

"I'll go to his room then. Maybe he's too caught up in playing to notice dinner has already started," Draco sighed and stood up, walking out of the dining room. It wouldn't be the first time that Scorpius forgot the time and kept on playing even if an elf warned him.

"Scorpius, it's dinner time," he called out and opened the door to Scorpius' bedroom. He frowned when he noticed his son lying curled up underneath his blanket, forming a round lump on the bed. Furrowing his eyebrows, he sat down on the bed and pulled the blanket down. "Scorpius, why are you already in bed?"

A flushed face with dazed, grey eyes looked back at him. Scorpius sniffled and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Papa, I'm tired," he whined softly.

"Are you getting sick?" Draco asked concerned and placed his hand on Scorpius' forehead, hissing softly when he felt the too warm skin. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well? How long have you been tired?"

"Don't know. I played and I was tired so I got to bed," Scorpius mumbled, flopping over on his back, coughing a bit.

"I think you have the flu," Draco sighed. Great, this was just what he needed. When the weather finally turned well, his son became sick. His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of little, purple spots. "Scorpius, those spots, do they hurt?"

Scorpius squirmed uncomfortably when his papa touched a spot on his hand. It burned a bit and he retracted his hand immediately. "Don't, papa," he whimpered.

"Ah, you have the Dragon pox. Did you play with a kid who was sick?" Draco questioned further, conjuring up a glass of water and helping his son to drink of it. He would need to go downstairs to get the potion for the Dragon pox. The disease on its own wasn't that dangerous anymore with the right medicine, but it was still uncomfortable and it hit mainly children, so it was considered a children's disease. Once someone hit puberty, it was impossible to get the sickness in his system, because the immune system was working too well for the bacteria to survive. It was in the literal sense of the word a children's disease.

"Tommy was coughing a bit and he had a few red spots," Scorpius mumbled, his eyes drooping a bit.

"You should have stayed away from him. Now you're going to be in bed for at least a week," Draco scolded him lightly, but couldn't find it in himself to be harsh to his sick son. It wasn't really his fault after all – the parents of that kid should have kept him at home.

Scorpius pouted and sneezed.

"I'm going to get your medicine," Draco murmured and caressed the soft, blond hair back before standing up and leaving the room in a haste. He turned around when he reached the end of the staircase and opened a door to his left - his own personal potions lab. It wasn't as extensive as Severus' lab, but it was enough to create his own potions and to keep his own stash of potions in case he needed some quickly.

He bent down and opened a cupboard, setting a few vials aside and humming a bit when he found the vial he needed. At least he kept a stock of the most vital medicine, so he wouldn't run out at the worst moment.

Just when he exited his lab, Harry appeared in the doorway of the dining room, looking at him puzzled. "Draco, where are you going? And what are you going to do with that potion?"

Draco sighed. "He got sick. Apparently he played with a kid who got the Dragon pox and because he hasn't had that children disease yet, he has it now. Has Teddy already had that disease?"

Harry frowned. "No, he hasn't yet. Wait, since when is that a children's disease?"

"Since it only affects children of course. Once you hit puberty, your immune system is too strong for the bacteria to survive, so it only hits children badly. It will be at least a week before he can get out of bed. I would keep Teddy out of his way, unless you want him to get sick too," Draco warned him. "At least you won't be able to get sick," he muttered almost in an afterthought.

"Eh, all right. Don't we need to call a Healer or something?" Harry asked uncertainly. He never had experienced the Dragon pox himself and he never had seen someone with it, so he didn't have a clue if it was dangerous or not.

"No, he should be fine with the potions I'm going to give him," Draco assured him. "But if it gets worse, then we'll call a Healer."

Harry nodded, his forehead wrinkled in worry.

"Dad?" While Harry got back to Teddy, Draco went back to Scorpius' room, all the while cursing the parents who had been so stupid to bring their sick son with them. How irresponsible could you be?

Scorpius opened his eyes when he heard his door opening again and grimaced weakly when he recognized the vials in his papa's hands. He really didn't like taking in potions; they were fun to make, but very icky to taste.

"Scorpius, I need you to swallow these potions," Draco murmured, pulling Scorpius up a bit, placing him against the pillows.

"No, papa, don' wanna." Scorpius pushed the first vial away weakly, pouting.

"Scorpius, you need to take these in. You want to get better, don't you?" Draco coaxed him, offering the vial again.

Scorpius scowled at the vial, considering it his worst enemy at the moment.

"If you take this is, you'll get better soon and then you'll be able to play again," Draco tried again. He wondered whether all children were that stubborn about taking in medicine, or whether it was just his rotten luck to have a stubborn son.

Scorpius still didn't look convinced enough to swallow the potion and he kept his lips tightly closed, crossing his arms. Even though his eyes were glazed over due to the fever, he still managed to glare at the potion.

Draco tried one last time. "Daddy is going to have another check-up in a week," he said casually and inwardly smirked when he saw Scorpius shifting slightly, removing his gaze from the vial to look at his father with wide eyes. "And during that check-up we'll finally get to see if you're going to get a brother or a sister."

"Really?" Scorpius asked awed, perking up a bit.

Draco nodded. "Yes, but if you're still sick, then you can't be at the check-up," he said solemnly.

One blink later and Scorpius had downed the first vial, reaching out for the second one. Draco smiled and retrieved the vials while Scorpius was grimacing and wiping his mouth.

"Good boy," he praised him and ruffled his hair.

Scorpius blinked at him, starting to feel sleepy. "I want daddy here," he said through a yawn.

"Why don't you go to sleep first? Daddy will be here when you wake up."

"No, I want daddy here now," Scorpius said stubbornly, refusing to give in to the temptation of sleeping. He wanted his daddy next to him so he could snuggle up to him. Mummy had always let him snuggle against her when he was sick and now daddy had filled in mummy's place.

Draco sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Fine, I'll get daddy. But then you have to go to sleep."

Scorpius beamed – well as much as he could with his flushed face and dazed eyes – and snuggled deeper underneath his sheets.

Sighing exasperatedly, Draco entered the dining room where Harry was listening attentively to something that Teddy was telling him.

He looked up when he felt hands on his shoulder.

"Did he take his medicine?" Harry asked, having a feeling it had been difficult to convince Scorpius to take the potions. Not that he could blame him – hell, he was an adult and even he despised those potions!

"Yeah, though it took a while." Draco rolled his eyes. "Anyway, he wants you with him."

Harry blinked. "What now?"

Teddy frowned; even when he was sick, Scorpius was still butting in on his time with his dad.

"Just go there until he falls asleep. That won't be long," Draco assured him.

"All right." Harry shrugged and stood up. When he walked past Teddy, he ruffled his hair affectionately. "I'll be right back, sweetie," he smiled and Teddy was slightly mollified.

"What does Scorpius have?" Teddy asked in a neutral voice.

"Dragon pox," Draco answered, grimacing. "You can better stay away from him now. Harry told me you didn't have the Dragon pox yet, so it's best to keep you safe."

Teddy nodded; it wasn't as if he loved to hang out with the younger boy anyway. Then he suddenly remembered the homework he still hadn't finished, because he didn't understand it. He had been planning to ask his dad to help him, but that was out of the question now. He looked up shyly at Draco, who was rubbing over his eyes.

"Draco, can I ask something?" he began shyly.

Draco blinked surprised. "Sure, what's wrong?"

"Uncle Severus gave us homework on some potions, but I can't find the solution to the question as to why some ingredients can't be thrown in at the same time. Can you help me with it?" He fiddled a bit with the sleeves of his light shirt.

Draco chuckled. "Of course, grab your homework. We're going to my study – I have to look at some documents, but I'll be able to help you."

"Thanks." Teddy beamed and ran to his room.

* * *

Scorpius opened his eyes when he heard his door opening again for the third time and he smiled sleepily when his daddy entered the room softly.

"Hey, sweetie," Daddy whispered and slowly sank down on the bed, leaning against the headboard, stretching one arm out to hug Scorpius against him.

Scorpius sighed contently and laid his head on his daddy's bulging stomach.

"When is the baby moving?" he asked curiously, placing his two hands on daddy's belly. He had been waiting impatiently for daddy to come to him to let him feel the baby these past few weeks, but his daddy had never come.

He looked up when he felt a hand caressing his hair and saw his daddy smiling. _Daddy really has a nice smile_ , he thought absentmindedly.

"Just wait a bit more and then the baby is going to kick," Daddy replied.

Just then Scorpius felt something push against his cheek and he pulled back startled and stared at daddy's belly.

Daddy chuckled and grabbed his hands placing them on his belly. "Don't you want to feel the baby kicking, honey?" he asked amused.

Scorpius gasped in awe and placed his cheek to the belly, listening carefully. A few seconds later, he felt something kicking against his right hand and it seemed as if he could hear something moving.

"I can feel the baby!" he said excitedly and coughed a bit. After his little coughing fit, to which his daddy rubbed his back soothingly, he frowned. "But daddy, does the baby hurt you?" he asked worriedly.

Daddy shook his head and smiled, pulling him back to his side. "No, of course not. The kicking doesn't hurt. It feels nice; it means the baby is healthy."

"Oh." Scorpius nodded and yawned. His eyelids began drooping and his head began to feel heavy. "Lullaby, mummy," he muttered.

Harry tensed and stared down at the boy incredulously. _Mummy?_ Where had that come from? He could deal with being daddy, but mummy? Was that the fever talking?

"Why did you call me mummy, sweetie?" he asked softly, freaking out just a little bit.

"Mummies are nice and sweet and they have the baby in their belly," Scorpius muttered, his words slurring. "Lullaby, please."

Harry blinked. "God, I hope that's the fever talking," he muttered, but kept caressing Scorpius' hair. "All right, I'll try a lullaby."

He began humming softly; it was the tune of something he had heard his aunt humming once to his cousin. Of course she had never hummed it to him, but he had been able to listen to it. It had always managed to soothe him and apparently it worked with Scorpius too.

It wasn't too long before soft breathing filled the room and Harry was left alone with his thoughts. _Mummy_.

Harry snorted. Those Malfoys were really full of surprises. Although he really hoped it was the fever talking. He didn't think he would hear the end of it if Snape somehow heard of Scorpius' change of name for him.

He carefully tucked Scorpius underneath the blankets and stood up, grimacing a bit when his baby kicked against his bladder. He really wondered where his baby got all that activity from.

* * *

"Draco, what is this?" Teddy pointed towards a blue book lying on a small table. He and Draco were still in the study; he had managed to finish his homework with Draco's help and was now looking at the books Draco kept in his study room.

Draco looked up from the parchment and frowned. "Ah, that; that is an Arithmancy book. I got that from Severus."

"What is Arithmancy?" Teddy wondered.

"Well, you have to read the theory to really understand it, but it has something to do with mathematics," Draco smiled. "I followed Arithmancy when I was in Hogwarts and I liked it almost as much as I liked Potions."

"Can I read it?" Teddy asked shyly, pointing at the book.

Draco chuckled. "Sure, go ahead."

And that was how Teddy discovered his interest in Arithmancy. He had only read the first few chapters, but he was already certain that he would be following that subject when he finally could go to Hogwarts.

Draco just looked at his concentrated face amused. At least they had that in common. Harry had quietly ushered him to spend some more time with Teddy, so that they could bond properly, but so far he hadn't managed to find something he could share with the boy. But apparently Arithmancy was one thing he could share with the boy.

* * *

Two days later Harry received a letter from Luna, saying she would visit him at three p.m. on the twenty fourth of May so she could do another check-up.

Scorpius was still bedridden with Dragon pox, but at least his fever had gone down a bit. And he had refrained from calling Harry mummy again, for which Harry was grateful. Scorpius was too fascinated with his belly and his moving brother or sister to call him mummy again. He was very excited when he heard the nice lady would be visiting again; he couldn't wait to find out whether he would get a little sister or a little brother. Either would be fine with him.

Teddy however wasn't that excited about the next check-up. And he wasn't happy with his lost time with his dad either.

The fourth evening that his dad was spending with Scorpius again, Teddy listened to them from behind the door. The door was open at a crack and he could just see his dad's face and his arm. Because he was busy with his lessons, he couldn't spend time with his dad during the day and his dad was with Scorpius in the evening so that limited his time even more. It frustrated him to no end that he barely had time with his dad. Why couldn't his dad spend more time with him?

He sneaked back to his room when his dad ended the lullaby and slipped in the bed, feeling hurt that his dad had never hummed a lullaby to him. But that didn't matter, right? He was a big boy now, he could do without the humming. He ignored the few tears that trailed over his cheeks. Tomorrow would be better; tomorrow was Saturday and that meant no lessons which gave him the time to seek out his dad.

He would get his alone time with his dad tomorrow. He nodded reassured and closed his eyes.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: maybe a bit too OOC Teddy for which I apologize in advance, drama and angst, lots of angst
> 
> I have no idea how children like Teddy would react in real life so I just winged it. I probably went too far, but … yeah ^^; Sorry. All I can offer as excuse is that it was necessary to drive the plot further
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 41**

_20th of May: five months pregnant_

Harry and Draco looked up when they heard familiar footsteps coming to the dining room. Harry put his glass with apple juice back on the table when Snape entered the room, holding a folded newspaper in his hands. He looked a bit annoyed, but Harry guessed that wasn't something unusual.

"Severus? What are you doing here so early? And on a Saturday? Teddy doesn't have any lessons, does he?" Draco asked surprised.

Snape sat down, throwing the newspaper down. "Have you read the newspaper lately?" he asked stiffly.

Draco blinked. "No, I've been busy with work and nursing Scorpius, because he has the Dragon pox."

"How did he … Never mind." Snape shook his head, glowering darkly at the newspaper. "Just read it. I'm surprised the owls haven't found you yet."

Harry frowned and looked at Draco, who shrugged and together they bent over the newspaper, eyes widening simultaneously when they saw a big photograph of them both, right in the middle of the paper. It was taken when they were walking back from Hagrid's cottage and Draco was kneeling on the ground to touch Harry's stomach when they felt the baby kick for the time first time.

"How the hell did they manage to take that photo?" Harry muttered annoyed. He had been sure that there had been no cameras to follow them when they went to visit Hagrid. How had one been able to sneak up on them?

Draco made some non-committal sound at the back of his throat and just continued to read the article, his frown deepening with each paragraph.

_**Potter and Malfoy together!** _

_It seemed impossible that the two school enemies, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, would someday be able to stay near each other without trying to curse each other, but apparently whatever problems they had during their school years are solved to everyone's apparent shock._

_It was during the memorial of You-Know-Who's death that the world was informed of Potter's new relationship with Malfoy. As everyone surely remembers, Harry Potter has been single for years after he broke up with Ginny Weasley for reasons still unknown. Draco Malfoy himself had been married to Daphne Greengrass, but divorced from her years ago, leaving Miss Greengrass to marry Blaise Zabini._

_How the two young men met up and when they started their relationship is still unknown as they both refuse to answer our letters. But it is apparent that they clearly don't care what the public thinks of their relationship, because they didn't see the point to arrive separately and were not too discreet about their affections to each other._

_Their relationship shocks the whole Wizarding World as no one has ever expected this to happen, but what will probably shock the public the most is the fact that Harry Potter is pregnant with Draco Malfoy's child. At first our reporter thought it was a trick of the light or Potter's robes not made well to suit his posture, but he managed to take a photograph (see photograph in the middle) when the two men left the cottage of Hogwarts' gamekeeper and Malfoy lovingly touched Potter's stomach which was clearly rounded._

_Healers estimate that Potter is somewhere between the five and six months far which is surprising, considering nobody was aware that the couple had tried for children so soon in their relationship. At least it is assumed that they only got together during the past year, because there has been no evidence they met up before that._

_And the surprises don't end yet. After having examined the photograph more thoroughly and asking around, we can safely inform our readers that not only are Potter and Malfoy expecting a child together, but they are also planning to get married, evidence being there clearly in the form of engagement rings on their hands._

_Malfoy and Potter really have dropped a bomb on the Wizarding World with their appearance on the memorial._

_Although nobody expected this to happen, all we can do is offer our congratulations to the couple and wish them luck with their upcoming marriage and baby._

"Well, at least they took it well," Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes. Honestly he had expected something much worse when Snape had entered annoyed like that. Although he had hoped on having more time to let the public get used to his relationship with Draco, at least it was now in the open. He considered himself lucky that the Prophet was supporting his relationship; that meant more people would support them, because sadly the Wizarding world seemed bent on believing the newspapers, whether they printed the truth or not. At least now it worked out in their favour.

"The newspaper took it well," Draco corrected him, leaning back in his chairs, massaging his temples. "But I wonder whether the public will take well to the fact that I dared to steal their Golden Boy and managed to knock him up."

Harry scowled at him. "I'm not their Golden Boy," he said firmly. "And I don't care what they think of us. I'm the one living with you and I was the one choosing you, so they have no business with us. What I do, is my concern."

"Most women will probably be very pissed off to know that they missed their chance with Potter, but eventually you'll be old news again," Snape said drily, accepting the cup of tea an elf handed to him.

"I don't know whether I should feel assured or insulted," Draco chuckled.

"Take it like you will; I'm only stating a fact," Snape sneered. "Now how sick is the little brat?"

"He's doing a lot better now. He's still coughing, but at least his fever has gone done. He should be out of bed in two days," Draco informed him.

"Do you need more potions?" Snape inquired.

Draco shook his head. "No, we'll be fine with the stock that I have."

While Draco launched in a discussion with Snape whether or not he needed more potions, Teddy slipped in the dining room and took a seat next to Harry who smiled at him.

"Good morning, sweetie, have you slept well?" he asked, handing over the can with chocolate milk to the young boy.

Teddy smiled sleepily. "Yeah, you?"

"Can't complain," his dad smiled and then winced a bit, his hand coming up to rub his stomach.

Teddy looked away, feeling awkward to see his dad rubbing his bump. He hadn't felt the baby kick yet, but he knew that Scorpius had already felt the baby kicking. It was hard to ignore his squeals – occasionally laced with coughing – every time he touched dad's stomach and felt the baby kicking. Teddy didn't understand what was so fun at feeling a baby move around; that was why he avoided having to touch his dad's stomach. Having not being able to spend much time with his dad for the last few weeks had been a plus side, but only because he hadn't been forced in situations where he would have to touch the baby bump.

Contemplatively he stared at his dad, who was eating his cereals while listening amused to Draco's banter with his godfather, and wondered how he would go about asking his question.

Apparently dad felt his gaze, because without any warning emerald green eyes shot to him and stared at him questioningly.

"Is there something the matter, Teddy?" he asked curiously, shoving his empty bowl further to the middle of the table.

Teddy's face flushed a bit and he started to pick on a loose thread of his dark blue T-shirt. "Eh, I was just wondering if we can go walking?" he asked uncertainly and shyly. "It's been a while since we took a walk and the weather is nice today …" he trailed off, his deep brown eyes trained on his white pants that ended at his knees.

He looked up surprised when dad chuckled.

"Sure, why not? You're right, it's been a while," Dad agreed and smiled. "We'll go after you have eaten your breakfast, okay?"

Teddy nodded enthusiastically and started buttering his toast.

"Wait, what? What do you mean 'we'll go'? Go where?" Draco asked suspiciously, ending his banter in favour of staring at Harry.

Harry blinked. "Teddy and I are going for a walk after breakfast; it's been a while since we have done that," he replied, shrugging.

"No, you're not." Draco scowled, turning his back to Snape who rolled his eyes and sipped of his tea, watching the new situation with keen eyes, wondering absentmindedly who would won this argument.

"Excuse me?" Harry raised his eyebrow, his eye twitching a bit. "Why can't I go take a walk with Teddy?"

"Because you're pregnant and we don't know where the murderer is at this moment. If you think I'll just let you go outside in your condition without any protection, you have another thing coming," Draco snapped, wondering how thick Harry could be. How many times did he have to tell him to be careful before it finally became stuck in his head?

"I have protection; I have my wand, you see," Harry replied icily. "And if you think that I'm going to be cooped up for the rest of my pregnancy, _you_ have another thing coming. I need some fresh air, Draco."

"Go walk in the garden, plenty of fresh air there," Draco replied sneering.

"Listen here, I tolerated your overprotectiveness for a long time, but enough is enough. You can't expect me to stay inside for another four months; I want to walk around. Besides there is little to no chance that the murderer will choose this day to go on a walk too," Harry said through gritted teeth. "We'll only be going to the park and then back. Not further."

Teddy shifted on his chair nervously. "I don't mind taking a walk in the garden," he murmured, feeling guilty that he was creating a fight between his dad and Draco. He hadn't meant to do that; he just wanted to spend some time with his dad.

"No, Teddy, we're taking a decent walk." Harry frowned and nodded to his plate. "Eat your breakfast, please."

"But Harry…" Draco started to protest again, but was cut off by Snape.

"Draco, as much as it pains me to admit it, I have to say that Potter is right in this case." Snape looked a bit pale at admitting this and he scowled. "Being cooped up for another four months isn't healthy; he needs to exercise and walking to the park will give him enough of that. You can't honestly expect him to stay inside the whole time."

Draco glared at him, having thought he would have been on his side.

Harry was surprised at receiving help from Snape of all people, but he looked smugly back at the blond.

Then Snape turned to him and his smug look disappeared as snow in the sun at his next sentence. "But at the same time, Potter, Draco is right. In the state that you are, your magical core is being drained by the baby, which means that you won't have the same strength to throw behind your spells as before. That will only get worse until the baby is born. So if the murderer attacks you, you're in big trouble."

"But you said that I needed the exercise," Harry pointed out petulantly, feeling like a student again who was being scolded by the professor. Damn it, why did Snape manage to make him feel like a student again after all this time?

Severus took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, silently asking the higher powers for more patience. _Was it that hard to make a compromise?_

"Have you ever heard of tracking charms?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Draco's face lightened up at that suggestion. "Ah, of course, why didn't I think of that before?"

"Because you were being an overprotective brat," Severus answered drily.

"Hey!"

"So, that's settled then," Harry interjected impatiently. "We use a tracking charm and then I can finally take a walk with Teddy."

Draco looked like he wanted to protest again, but in the end he just sighed and lifted his wand at Harry.

"Ready?" he asked, frowning.

Harry nodded, smiling.

"Loca semper Harry Potter," Draco muttered and a purple light enveloped Harry and the light seemed to sink in Harry's skin before disappearing.

"Now was it really that difficult?" Harry muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Don't push it, Potter." Draco scowled and looked away.

Harry rolled his eyes again and turned to Teddy, who had just finished his second toast with marmalade.

"Are you ready to go, sweetie?" he asked smiling.

Teddy nodded, his face brightening up at the prospect of having his dad alone for a couple of hours. Even if he had to go to Scorpius after their walk, it wouldn't be too bad to share his dad, because he would have his time with him now.

"Good, get a sweater in case it gets chilly," Dad smiled and stood up, putting a hand on his belly and rubbing it absentmindedly.

Teddy grinned and almost ran upstairs, wanting nothing more than to start their walk.

Harry was waiting at the front door, his own light blue sweater knotted around his hips, underneath his bulging belly, when Draco came to him.

"I still don't like you going," Draco muttered, slipping his arms around Harry's waist and pulling him closer to his body.

"I know," Harry answered simply and hugged him back, resting his head on Draco's shoulder.

"But I guess I understand that you want some time alone with Teddy and need some fresh air," Draco admitted grumbling and laid his head on Harry's head, sniffing a bit when the black hair tickled his chin.

"We'll be back in three hours at the most, but we'll probably be back before that," Harry reassured him and pulled back to give him a quick kiss on his lips.

"Fine," Draco sighed and kissed him softly back.

"I'm ready, dad," Teddy chirped and ran to him.

"Good, then we're off."

Teddy waved at Draco, who waved back and smiled at him.

"So how have your lessons been? Snape is not too harsh on you?" Harry asked, feeling Teddy's hand slipping in his.

Teddy shook his head. "No, I mean, he isn't particularly nice, but he isn't bad either. He just focuses very hard on the lessons." He smiled ruefully. "Sometime I wished he would go easier on us, but I guess he just wants us to study well, right?"

"Yeah, he has always been like that." Harry raked a hand through his hair and smiled drily. "Of course, back in school he was worse, but I guess he mellowed out a bit through the years. Don't let him hear that I said that, though." He winked and Teddy laughed.

"Uncle Sev doesn't allow talking during classes unless you know the answer," Teddy grinned and his dark green eyes glittered in the sunlight.

They were slowly walking on the large path leading to the park they had visited a couple of weeks back. The leaves of the big trees besides the path were softly swaying in the light cool breeze and made a rustling sound.

They were not the only ones enjoying the beautiful weather. There was a young couple walking a couple of feet further, whispering to each other and giggling; a mother with her three children was behind them and the loud and excited chatter of the little children filled the air with their mother's laughter. An old couple was seated on one of the many benches placed at the sides of the path, looking into the distance with a smile. Harry was glad that the people walking near them were more interested in their own business; he didn't want to deal with reactions to his pregnancy now.

They walked a bit in silence before Teddy started to fidget a bit.

Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

"Will Draco stay mad at you because you went for walking while he said that he didn't like it?" he asked, biting his lip.

Dad shook his head with a smile. "He isn't mad anymore; he understands that I can't be cooped up for the whole pregnancy. He just doesn't like to lose an argument against me," he chuckled. "Reminds me a bit of how we acted when we were younger. Guess we'll never lose our argumentative sides."

Teddy nodded, lost in thought. "How come you didn't get sick?" he suddenly asked.

Dad blinked. "Sick, what do you mean?" he asked confused.

"Well, Scorpius is sick, isn't he? And you spend a lot of time together, so how come you don't get sick too?"

"Ah, that," Dad laughed and shook his head. "Well, apparently Dragon pox is a real child disease so only children get sick. I'm an adult so I can't get sick from it."

Teddy pursed his lips a bit, not sure how to react to that.

"Teddy, we're here." Dad broke through his thoughts and the boy looked up surprised and squinted a bit when the sunlight bounced of the lake and blinded him for a moment.

"What do you want to do now, sweetie?" Dad smiled, standing in the shadow of a big apple tree. Some people near the lake had spotted them and had started to whisper, all the while looking at his dad's rounded stomach. His dad either didn't notice the whispering and the staring – which would surprise Teddy – or he had decided it wasn't worth the trouble to say anything about it.

"Can we just walk around?" Teddy asked shyly, refusing to let go of his dad's hand.

"Sure, no problem," Dad smiled and took on a leisurely pace, the gravel under his feet shifting and making little crunching sounds.

They walked in silence to a secluded area of the park. It was a round patch of grass, surrounded by apple and cherry trees and there was only one path leading to it, unless you wanted to go through the bushes and have branches slicing your legs.

"You mind if we sit down here for a bit?" Dad asked and he looked tired, a hand supporting his back with a grimace.

Teddy bit his lip and sat down right in the middle of the grass patch, his fingers trailing over the grass and occasionally pulling tuffs of it out and then opening his hand to see the grass blades getting swapped up by the wind and landing back down on the ground, before starting the process all over again. He remembered his friend telling him that his mother had often been tired when she was pregnant, but that the tiredness had begun to really kick up a row when she had entered the sixth month. Would his dad be more tired in a few weeks?

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or are you going to continue abusing the poor grass?" Dad asked, torn between looking amused and worried.

Teddy's head shot up in surprise and he stared at his green stained hand before shaking off the last clinging grass blades and rubbing his hand on his pants, ignoring the wince of his dad at seeing his shorts ruined with grass stains.

"The house elves are going to cry when they see your pants," Dad smiled ruefully.

Teddy blushed. "Sorry for that," he mumbled, feeling a bit ashamed.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Dad chuckled. "So, is something wrong?"

"No," Teddy muttered, looking away. "When is the baby going to be born?" he suddenly asked; not really sure why he had asked that. It wasn't as if he really cared or something …

Dad blinked, but immediately smiled excitedly. "Around the tenth of October probably," he replied, his emerald green eyes taking on a brilliant shine. "We still have to search for a good name. Do you have a name in mind? Of course we'll find out in four days what the gender of the baby is, but maybe you have a name in mind?"

"Sorry, dad, but I don't know a name for the baby," Teddy smiled weakly. "I'm not good at finding names, remember?"

Dad laughed, throwing his head back and leaning back on his hands. "Yeah, I remember. You named your teddy bear just 'Bear', because it was easier," he grinned and the young boy blushed.

"At least I knew it was a bear!" he defended himself.

Dad reached out and ruffled his hair, chuckling. "True, I have to give you that."

Teddy pouted and shifted so that he could lean against his dad's right side, feeling an arm wrapping around him. He was careful not to lean on dad's rounded stomach and was content to lay his head on his dad's strong shoulder and look up at the bright blue sky, the sun being covered by the leaves of the trees, causing the sunlight to be filtered by it.

They stayed like that for a long time, happy enough to listen to the comfortable silence that fell between them.

* * *

Teddy must have fallen asleep at one point, because he suddenly felt someone shaking his shoulder and he opened his eyes groggily, blinking against the dimmed light.

"Dad?" he muttered sleepily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry to wake you up, but it appears we have to return home before we turn into drowned cats," Dad explained drily.

He looked at him confused. _Drowned cats?_ Why would they be drowned cats?

Dad chuckled at seeing his puzzled look. "I think it's going to rain soon." He pointed to the sky and indeed dark clouds were slowly drifting over from the west, darkening the sky as they went along.

Teddy pouted and sighed. "Guess we have to go back then."

"We can take a walk again later," Harry promised and with a bit of difficulty he managed to get up, stretching a bit and grimacing when the blood in his right arm (that had been crushed underneath Teddy's weight) started to properly flow again, giving him a prickling feeling like needles poking in his arm.

Teddy perked up at hearing that promise and grabbed Harry's hand again, tugging him softly along, making Harry smile.

They exited the secluded place and walked back on the path they travelled before. All around them, people were hastily making their way out of the park, looking up at the sky in worry. Slowly the wind started to play up, making the leaves rustle wildly and playing with the hair of the people.

Harry absentmindedly stroked his hair back; making a silent note to get his hair cut soon when he suddenly saw someone familiar exiting the park.

"Hey, Teddy," he began slowly, the boy looking up at him. "Isn't that your grandmother?"

Teddy blinked and narrowed his eyes a bit, staring at the entrance, before his face lit up. "Yeah, it's grandmother!" he said excitedly.

"Why don't you go to her? You can run faster than I now," Harry said drily.

Teddy grinned and broke in a run, his sweater flying up in the wind. "Grandmother!" he yelled and the woman at the entrance stopped surprised before turning around.

Andromeda smiled surprised when her grandson flew around her waist. "Well, look who we have here!" she laughed and hugged him back. "You're not alone here, are you?" she continued suspiciously, when she didn't notice Harry around. He wouldn't have let her grandson go alone to the park now, would he?

Teddy shook his head, looking up at her. "No, dad is coming, but he can't run anymore because he's pregnant," he muttered, releasing Andromeda.

She raised an eyebrow and wondered why the boy had sounded so sullen when he had answered her. She looked in the direction Teddy had come running from and saw indeed Harry making his way to them, his rounded stomach clearly visible through his shirt.

_So it is true_ , she mused, remembering the article in the Prophet from a few days ago. She hadn't known whether she could believe the newspaper or not. That paper was known for spreading lies, after all, as long as they could sell it. Seeing as Harry hadn't told her about the news of his pregnancy, she had assumed the Prophet had spread another lie, though she had wondered how they had managed to produce such a realistic photo of Harry and her nephew. Apparently, the paper hadn't lied for once.

"Good morning, Andromeda," Harry smiled when he reached them, slightly out of breath.

She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "Young man, you have a lot of explaining to do," she told him firmly and after taking a glance at his hand where a golden ring was glinting dimly in the light, she narrowed her eyes. "A _whole_ lot."

Harry felt his cheeks flush in shame and he didn't know whether Andromeda was happy for him or mad at him and that made him worried. Her face was blank, save for her narrowed eyes, so he couldn't read her reaction. Damn those Blacks and their uptight upbringing. What was wrong with showing emotions once in a while?

He put a hand at the back of his head and rubbed his neck. "Well, eh, would you mind coming with us to the Malfoy manor?" he chuckled nervously.

She huffed and turned around, grabbing Teddy's hand. "Of course I wouldn't mind. After all I want to meet the man who managed to knock up the man I consider one of my grandsons." She looked at the ring critically, ignoring Harry's embarrassed blush. "At least he had the sense of proposing to you," she muttered and shook her head. "Kids these days."

Harry flushed harder and didn't know how to react on that one, so he decided that staying silent for now would be the best option.

Teddy chuckled softly, bending his head when he saw his dad ready to swat him.

* * *

Draco looked up and sighed relieved when he felt the ward being breached by familiar magic signatures. Harry and Teddy were back after their two and a half hour long walk. He had to admit that he had been worried, but he had managed to distract himself with spending time with his son, who was getting better with the day. Scorpius was now able to sit up again and he had started to eat his food with more eagerness now, instead of pulling faces at it like he had done for the past few days.

Severus had gone home an hour after Harry had left with Teddy after doing his own check-up on Scorpius. Draco had felt a bit insulted that Severus had doubted his potion skills, but hadn't said anything about it, knowing that he wouldn't win that argument against his godfather.

At that moment an unfamiliar magic signature breached the wards too and he tensed, sitting up straight. Who was with Harry and Teddy?

"Papa?" Scorpius asked, his voice still slightly hoarse from all the coughing he had done.

"Daddy and Teddy are back home, Scorpius," Draco answered, smiling strained. "I'm going to welcome them, alright?"

Scorpius nodded, grinning. "I want to see them too, papa!" he chirped.

"Sure, I'll tell them to come up here," Draco murmured distracted and hurried out of the room.

He heard a female voice when he reached the stairs and when he came down the staircase, he was looking at a dark haired woman who was already starting to grey and who shared a terrifying similarity with his Aunt Bellatrix. Only the knowledge that his dear aunt had died in the fight held him back from cursing the woman. Could this be his Aunt Andromeda? The one he never met, because his mother had cut her out of the family due to her marriage to that Muggle?

Sharp, piercing, dark eyes, reminding him eerily of those of Severus were eying him critically.

"So this is young Draco Malfoy. I must say, dear, you look astoundingly like your mother," the woman spoke, raising an eyebrow.

Draco frowned. "I look like my father – everyone always says that," he retorted.

"Oh no," she laughed, sounding amused. "You look a lot like my dear sister, Draco. The only thing you have from your father are your eyes."

Draco blinked and turned to look at Harry who was watching them amused. He turned back to the woman in front of him and smirked. "I presume that you are my dear Aunt Andromeda?" he asked lightly, picking up her hand and kissing it.

Andromeda laughed. "My, aren't you a charmer," she said teasingly. "Never thought you would fall for his charms, sweetie," she said to Harry who snorted.

"That makes two of us," he muttered drily and rolled his eyes.

Teddy snickered and removed his sweater.

"Even you couldn't resist my charms, Harry." Draco winked.

"Oh ha ha." Harry shook his head, but smiled. "Why don't we all go to the living room? I think you two have some catching up to do."

"Don't think for one minute that you won't be getting a lecture from me, Harry," Andromeda warned him. "Really, where were your manners? You should have informed me immediately the moment you knew you were pregnant," she scolded him, while following the two men to the living room.

"Dad, can I go to my room to read?" Teddy asked, not fancying hearing a chat about the baby.

Harry nodded. "Sure, we call you when we're going to have lunch." He turned to Andromeda. "It has been a few complicated months, so it sort of slipped my mind to tell you about the pregnancy."

She huffed. "You should be ashamed of yourself. Forgetting to inform me about getting another grandchild," she muttered and sat down on the couch, after removing her coat.

Draco smirked and sat down next to Harry, on the couch opposite of his aunt's.

"And you, young man, wipe that smirk of your face," she said firmly. "You better make an honest man out of him or I'll make sure there won't be another pregnancy."

Draco winced at the threat and Harry blushed fiercely, not able to believe that Andromeda had just said that.

"Now, aunt, I'm going to make an honest man out of him," Draco spoke smoothly, and grabbed Harry's hand with the ring. "We're simply waiting until after the birth to marry, to avoid stress."

"Have you started planning the wedding?" Andromeda asked, folding her hands in her lap and Draco had to blink when he got a vision of his mother sitting like that exactly.

"No, not yet. Like Harry said, it has been complicated for a while, so the planning of our marriage just slipped through it," Draco replied ruefully, wrapping an arm around Harry, making the man lean against him with a sigh.

Andromeda's face hardened. "What exactly has happened these past few months?" she asked suspiciously. "And don't dare to lie to me," she added with a piercing look.

Both men gulped and looked at each other. "Tell her everything?" Draco questioned, his hand absently caressing Harry's arm.

Harry sighed. "I guess; she knows when I'm lying anyway," he muttered.

"I'm still here, boys," she reminded them drily.

"Who's going to tell her? You or me?" Draco asked, taking a deep breath. This would go well for a first meeting. Telling his aunt that Harry had been kidnapped, injected with a pregnancy potion and then the pregnancy itself. He was certain that that wasn't the best way to make a good impression on your family. He winced inwardly at that thought.

"I'll tell her," Harry sighed and sat up straight, but not leaving Draco's embrace.

"It can't be that bad," Andromeda smiled, but her smile disappeared when she noticed their nervous looks. "Is it really that bad?"

"You can decide for yourself after you have listened," Harry smiled weakly and told Andromeda everything that had happened after their visit to her.

Her eyes narrowed multiple times throughout the story and her hands clenched every time Harry mentioned the murderer and when he told her about the injection, her eyes seemed to spit fire and she looked murderous enough to give even Voldemort the shivers.

Draco decided there and then that he would never try to make his aunt angry. It wasn't worth the pain he would suffer if he did make her angry.

"So let me get this straight," Andromeda started in a neutral voice after Harry had stopped talking. "You were kidnapped for three days and the kidnapper gave you a pregnancy potion. He just brings you back and a week later you're pregnant without knowing why the kidnapper did that. Did I get it all?"

"Yeah, that's all," Harry sighed, flopping back in the couch, feeling Draco's arm tightening around him.

"So how far are you?" Andromeda breathed out slowly and making a promise to herself that if she ever found that kidnapper, she would make sure that he wished he had never messed with her family.

"Almost six months," Draco smiled, rubbing Harry's stomach with a loving smile.

"Have you picked out names?" she asked excitedly, the grandmother side in her taking over. She couldn't wait until she could hold the baby in her arms. He or she would be so cute! She would have fun pampering her new grandson or granddaughter.

"No, not yet, but in four days we'll know the gender of the baby," Harry smiled, placing his hand on top of that of Draco's.

"You better send me an owl immediately then, because I don't want to wait another four months before I get to know whether I have a granddaughter or grandson," she reprimanded them.

They both chuckled nervously.

"Papa, daddy, who is that lady?" a high pitched voice suddenly asked and the three adults all turned around to see Scorpius standing there in his light green pyjamas, his blond hair ruffled.

"Scorpius, what are you doing out of bed?" Harry asked worriedly and stood up, walking over quickly to pick up the little boy, settling him on his hip and bringing him over to the couch, feeling his forehead for any sign of a fever. He didn't found one.

"Papa didn't bring you upstairs; he promised to, but he didn't so I came here," Scorpius muttered, placing his fist in front of his mouth and snuggling closer to Harry.

"Ah yes, sorry, Scorpius, I forgot that," Draco smiled apologetically and stroked Scorpius' hair flat.

"Is this your son, Draco?" Andromeda asked with a smile and leant forwards.

"Yes, his name is Scorpius," Draco smiled. "Scorpius, this is your great-aunt Andromeda."

Scorpius blinked and stared at his great-aunt. "You don't look that old," he told her honestly, making her laugh.

"Why thank you for the compliment, sweetie," she smiled. "You're a very cute boy."

Scorpius blushed and hid his face in Harry's shoulder.

"Are you staying for lunch?" Scorpius asked shyly.

"Well, only if your daddy and papa would like me to," Andromeda smiled.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Harry assured her.

Draco nodded, smiling.

Teddy couldn't be happier than when he came downstairs to find that his grandmother was staying for the whole day. This way he would be able to spend more time with his grandmother and his dad, because his grandmother wouldn't pass up the chance to spend time with her two grandsons. He would accept the talk about the baby, but only because this way he would have more time with his family.

* * *

_24th of May_

"When is Auntie Luna coming here?" Scorpius asked excitedly, bouncing up and down on the bed where Harry was sitting.

"Scorpius, stop bouncing so hard," Draco told him sternly when he entered the bedroom with the potion Harry had to take in. "It's not good for the baby."

Scorpius immediately stopped startled. "Sorry, daddy, didn't mean to," he murmured, looking down at the crumpled sheet.

"Hey, don't worry. The baby is fine," Harry smiled and caressed his blond hair quickly.

Teddy entered the room too, bringing with him a happy smiling Luna.

"Hello Harry, Draco, Scorpius," she greeted them with a big smile and twirled her wand in her hands.

"Good morning, Luna," Harry greeted back.

"Everything all right?" she asked, waving her wand over his body to check his vitals. She hummed contently when she saw nothing wrong with his vitals.

"Can't complain," Harry smiled, though his eyes had little bags underneath them. The baby had been kicking and tumbling all night in his stomach, causing him to have little to no sleep. Eventually at three a.m. he had given up at the notion of any sleep and had went downstairs to read a book about Healing. He was fairly certain now that he would be able to pass the test once the baby was born.

"Good, good." Luna nodded. "Ready to know the baby's gender?" she asked him absentmindedly, finding something very interesting outside on the windowsill.

Harry nodded and grew excited. Scorpius began grinning wildly and scooted over to snuggle against his daddy's side. Teddy chose to sit next to Harry, leaning against the wall while Draco sat down at the end of the bed, a huge smile blooming on his face. He couldn't wait to find out whether he would get a daughter or a son. Either would be fine with him.

Luna started to hum something quietly, returning her attention back to Harry. She murmured something quickly underneath her breath and waved her wand in a circle that encircled a triangle.

For a moment nothing happened, but then slowly a grey mist rose up, seemingly from Harry's stomach and hovered a few feet above Harry; the grey mass shifting and bubbling until it fell still, showing the clear outline of a curled up baby who appeared to suck on his thumb.

"Oh, look at that," Luna smiled. "He's already sucking his thumb. Your son is developing well, Harry. There should be no problems with the rest of the pregnancy."

"Son?" Draco croaked, not sure whether he had heard well. He was getting a son?

"We're getting a son?" Harry asked excitedly, tears making his eyes glisten.

Luna hummed again and nodded. "Yes, a very healthy son," she praised. "I have to make another check-up when you're eight months far to make sure that the baby will be in a good position for the birth, but normally there shouldn't be problems with the rest of the pregnancy. You have a very strong earth spirit protecting you," she declared solemnly.

"I'm getting a brother?" Scorpius squealed and hugged Harry's stomach. "I'm going to be a big brother, like Teddy!"

"Yes, you're getting a brother," Harry smiled and wiped the tears away, laughing silently.

Draco began to laugh. "I'm getting another son!" he exclaimed and hugged Harry, kissing him hard on his mouth. "God, you're making me so happy!" he murmured against the reddened lips, making Harry grin.

Teddy turned away from the scene with a frown on his face. Great, another little brat he had to consider his brother. As if one wasn't enough.

* * *

_20th of July: 7 months pregnant._

It was on a warm day in July that all went wrong.

Harry was now almost eight months pregnant and the pregnancy was now really beginning to wear on him. His stomach continued to expand quickly and he was almost at the point where he couldn't see his feet anymore which really frustrated him. He had had to order new pregnancy clothes, because the ones he had ordered a few months ago where now too small for his bulging belly. Harry really disliked the way his body fattened, but he couldn't do anything about it, considering it was natural. Draco himself seemed to have no problems with his growing belly, because he kept molesting him whenever he had the chance, whispering how much he loved Harry and how sexy he looked carrying his baby.

Personally Harry didn't see what was so sexy about a protruding stomach, but he wouldn't say no to reassuring compliments. The sex was great too.

The papers had left them alone for the time being, but they were probably awaiting the moment when Harry and Draco would come out with the new addition to the family. Harry couldn't care less if they wrote something about him and Draco or not, but he had to admit it was nice to not be bombarded with letters.

Andromeda continued to visit every two weeks and she even had gone clothes shopping for her new grandson as soon as she had heard the gender. Their baby was now the proud owner of several crawlers in the colours: light blue, dark green, lilac and even a few yellow ones. There were crawlers with snitches on them that moved, little teddy bears, cute fishes, laughing moons and happily shining stars.

Two new teddy bears had joined the one sitting already on the small bed.

Because it was now summer, the weather had become hotter and that made Harry very uncomfortable. He used cooling charms as much as he could, but as his pregnancy continued; his magic grew weaker, having to send more magic to sustain the growing baby. This resulted in Harry being quickly tired and it wasn't unheard off that he would fall asleep in the middle of the day. In fact, if the weather was really hot, he would sleep for many hours, only waking up to eat and drink.

His sleep was interrupted many times in the night by his baby kicking and tumbling in his stomach, sometimes kicking so hard against his bladder that he had no choice than to go out of bed and visit the bathroom. The bathroom was quickly becoming his favourite room.

His family tried to help him wherever he could, making sure that his tired muscles were massaged, that he drank and ate enough and that he didn't overexert himself. Daphne had been visiting a lot too, giving Harry advice on how to deal with the birth (one of her tips had been to make sure Draco was there with the birth so that Harry had the chance to curse at him and crush his hand during labour. Daphne had informed him gleefully that he would feel a whole lot better if he had the chance to take out his frustrations on his fiancé. After all it had been Draco's fault that he was now knocked up; he might as well take the responsibility for it) and how he had to care for his baby.

Scorpius had taken a habit of kissing Harry's stomach every morning and evening as a way of saying hello to his little brother. In the evenings he would often be found, sitting between Harry's sprawled legs on the bed, talking to his brother and informing him of all the things they could do once his brother was out of his daddy's stomach.

Both Draco and Harry found that a very endearing habit and did nothing to discourage him of it.

Teddy, however, was a whole other matter. He had tried to tone down his frustrations about the baby, reasoning with himself that he needed to be a good boy to make his dad happy, but it was quickly getting a hold of him.

After his dad's promise that they would take a walk together again, he had thought that that would have been his chance to spend more time with his dad. But after more than a month had passed without a new walk, he was quickly becoming anxious. His dad was either sleeping or discussing baby matters with Draco or his Aunt Daphne. If he wasn't busy with the baby, he was studying for his new job, removing all the possible time Teddy could have with him.

Sure his dad wouldn't send him away when he came to him, but because the talk mostly consisted of the baby, Teddy had taken to stay in his room. He understood in a way that preparations had to be made for the arrival of the new brat, but must they do that all the time? Even Scorpius was getting more time with his dad than him – of course Scorpius mostly spent that time squealing and talking to the baby, but at least he spent time with his dad.

Of course Teddy was able to spend more time with Draco after they discovered their shared interest in Arithmancy, but it wasn't the same as laughing and talking with his dad.

He just wanted his old dad back, the one who had time for him and who wasn't constantly tired because of a baby he had decided to keep. All he wanted was just time with his dad, no interruptions whatsoever, was that too much to ask?

So one day, on the twentieth of July, it all came bubbling up: all his frustrations about the baby and the lake of quality time with his dad.

* * *

Teddy walked in the parlour where his dad was sitting on a one-armed chair, resting against pillows, enjoying the breeze that came through the open doors. His hands were absently stroking his big stomach, trying to soothe his overexcited baby.

"Hello Teddy," Dad smiled tiredly. The bags underneath his eyes had grown bigger and he had gotten paler. Unfortunately getting weak was to be expected in a male pregnancy.

"Hey dad," Teddy murmured, shuffling his feet.

Dad opened his eyes and looked at him intently. "Is there something wrong, sweetie?" he asked, sitting up straight with difficulty.

"Can we go for a walk?" Teddy blurted out, biting on his lip and clasping his hands together behind his back.

"I would love to, honey, but I can't," Dad sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

Teddy tensed and frowned. "Why not?"

"I'm sorry, Teddy, but I'm too tired. I probably would only make it to the front door before needing to sit down again," Dad apologized, grimacing.

"But we can go for a small walk," Teddy tried, desperately wanting for dad to agree.

"Sorry, Teddy, but I really can't. Maybe tomorrow," Dad murmured, closing his eyes.

"You always say that, but you never do it," Teddy whispered, looking down at the floor, feeling his eyes burn.

"What was that?" Dad asked, sounding tired.

"You promised we would go for a walk again a month ago," Teddy reminded him, not ready to give up his possible quality time.

"I know I promised, sweetie, but I really am too tired to go for a walk now. Sorry," Dad sighed again, grimacing when his unborn son gave him a swift kick to his liver.

"But I really want to go take a walk with you," Teddy repeated stubbornly, a glare forming on his face.

This time dad looked at him annoyed. "Teddy, I said no. I'm too tired. Go ask Draco to take a walk with you, he's free now."

"NO! I want to go with you!" Teddy raised his voice and he even went as far as to stomp his foot on the ground, something he had never done before.

Dad sat up straight. "That's enough, Teddy. Stop acting like a spoiled child," he reprimanded him. "You have to understand that the baby is making me tired and …"

"I don't care about that stupid baby!" Teddy yelled suddenly, his blue eyes changing to burning amber coloured eyes, his hair changing to a deep brown. He balled his fists at his side. His whole body was tense and he had trouble breathing calmly. All his frustrations reached their limit and it all came out at once. "You're always talking about the baby; baby this, baby that. I don't care about that stupid brat! I don't need another brother and I want my old dad back!"

Dad gaped at him in shock before his eyes narrowed in anger. "Teddy, you're going way out of line! I want you to apologize this instant! You can't talk about your little brother like that!"

"I can and I will!" Teddy yelled back. "I don't want that baby and I don't want Scorpius as a brother! Since you are with Draco, you don't look at me anymore. It's always Scorpius and Draco and the baby and never ME!"

"That's a lie, Teddy! I do spend time with you and I still love you. I'm not replacing you with anyone. You just need to accept that there are other people now in my life that I care about too. You're going to have another brother in two months, so you better start changing your attitude, mister!" Harry said harshly.

"I HATE THAT BABY!" Teddy screamed back, tears now running over his cheeks. "I HATE SCORPIUS AND I HATE YOU FOR KEEPING THAT BABY!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Harry bellowed; standing up suddenly, his whole face cold with anger and hurt. "GO TO YOUR ROOM NOW AND DON'T COME OUT UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO APOLOGIZE!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Draco came running into the parlour, his eyes wide with shock.

Teddy screamed, his whole face red with anger and tears and ran upstairs, slamming the door of his room shut with a loud BANG!

Harry breathed harshly and started to cry, sinking down on the couch, hiding his face in his hands.

"Harry, baby, what happened?" Draco asked worriedly and sat down next to him, pulling him in his arms and started to rub his back.

Harry just shook his head, not sure whether his vocal cords would work. He couldn't believe what he just had heard. Never in a million years had he expected Teddy to yell that he hated the baby and that he hated him for keeping the baby. Had Teddy been against the baby this whole time? Why hadn't he said anything about?

"He said – said that he hates the – the baby," Harry cried, hiccupping. "And that h – he hates me for kee – keeping the baby. Why would he say such things? Am I that horrible as father that my godson resents me for keeping our son?"

"Oh, baby," Draco whispered and kissed his temple. "No you're not horrible. You're the most amazing dad there is in the world. He doesn't hate you or the baby. I'm sure that he didn't mean it."

But Harry shook his head, his sobbing turning harder, making him gasp in return. "You didn't saw his face when he said that, Draco," he moaned. "He really hates me and the baby. How could this have happened?"

"Oh no, sweetie," Draco crooned, caressing his back and shifting them so that Harry sat on his lap. "He can't hate you; you're his dad. He would never hate you. We will let him calm down and then we're going to talk to him, okay? Just hush now, try to calm down. This stress is not good for the baby. Take deep breaths."

Harry hiccupped again, but started to take deep breaths, trying to calm down. He knew getting worked up like this was bad for the baby, but how else was he supposed to react when the boy he considers his son yelled to him that he hated him and hated the baby?

Draco just kept rocking him, rubbing his back and whispering sweet things in his ear. He was glad Scorpius had been on the other side of the manor when the screaming had started.

* * *

Teddy screamed in his pillow, letting out all his frustration and fear. Why wouldn't his dad listen to him? Why didn't he understand that he needed time with him? Did his dad really love him just like before or were the baby and Scorpius taking in his place?

Teddy cried at that thought. He didn't want to be replaced. He wanted to be Harry's son, the one he was proud of and the one he loved. But now his chances were blown up, because he had yelled to his dad that he hated him. He hadn't meant to, honestly! He didn't know why he did that, the words just had start pouring out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

He had been a very bad boy and now his dad was furious with him and he would stop loving him. Now he really had lost his chance to be his best son.

"Maybe it's better when I'm gone," he whispered to himself, hugging his pillow tightly against his chest, amber coloured eyes staring blankly at the opposite wall. "If I'm gone, then dad can be happy again with his new son. He won't miss me. I only make him angry and sad. I don't want him to be sad anymore." He started to cry again silently.

All he wanted was to make his dad happy. If he was gone, maybe his dad would have the chance to be happy again. Yes, he would make his dad happy again. He would feel terrible to leave his dad behind, the only real dad figure he had ever known and he would miss him so much, but if him leaving meant that his dad would be happy, he would do it.

* * *

Half an hour later, a small, dark haired boy slipped out of the manor through the front door, a bag pack with some food, water and his photo album on his back.

The boy turned down the path he had taken many times before to the park and decided to go to the park. From there he would see where he would go next.

He was sitting underneath a large oak tree, staring forlornly at the lake, wishing he could take everything back he had said to his dad.

"Well, hello there, little boy. What are you doing here all on your own?"

Teddy looked up to see a dark blond man smiling at him worriedly.

* * *

"I think he has calmed down enough. I'll go get him, okay? Then we can talk," Draco said softly two hours later when he had managed to calm down his distressed lover.

Harry was lying on the couch, an arm thrown over his forehead, staring at the ceiling with red rimmed eyes. He nodded to show that he had heard Draco, but he didn't look away from the ceiling.

Draco sighed inwardly, but got up and went upstairs to Teddy's room, all the while trying to keep down his anger. He loved Teddy like a son, but the boy had gone too far this time. If Harry hadn't been able to calm down, he and the baby could have been in serious trouble. He didn't want to think about the possibility of losing the baby so late in the pregnancy.

"Teddy, I'm coming in now," he warned him through the closed door and opened it, frowning when he didn't notice the boy in his room. "Teddy?" he repeated and walked further, looking around him.

No sign of Teddy. His frown deepened. Had Teddy gone off to another room?

Draco wanted to turn around and search through the whole wing, when he suddenly noticed a note lying innocently on the bed. With a feeling of dread collecting in his stomach, he slowly reached out and picked up the note. He had a feeling he wouldn't like what he would read.

' _Dad_

_I'm sorry I'm such a bad son. I really tried my best to be perfect, but I messed up. I really didn't want to hurt you. I only want you to be proud of me, love me and be happy with me. But I guess I only made you angry and sad. I'm sorry for being a bad son. I decided to leave, because I want you to be happy again and with the new baby, you can have a chance of having a real son, instead of being saddled up with me: a baby you had to take care of, because you promised your friend you would._

_I'm sorry I disappointed you. I won't disappoint you ever again, I promise._

_I love you, dad and I'll miss you. Say goodbye to Draco and Scorpius from me. And tell the baby that he'll have the greatest dad there is on the world._

_Love_

_Teddy'_

At some parts, the ink was blurry, a sign that someone had been crying when he wrote the letter.

Draco couldn't believe what he was reading. This letter didn't mean what he thought it meant, did it?

He whirled around with the letter crushed in his hand and stormed out of the room. "TEDDY!" he screamed, hearing his own voice echoing off the walls.

This couldn't be happening. It was only a misunderstanding. A stupid joke. Teddy wouldn't really run away. That was just not possible.

He had just ran downstairs again when a blood curling scream, coming from inside the parlour, make him pale and change his course.

Something was wrong with Harry. He ran inside the parlour and found his lover, kneeling on the floor, staring at a parchment in his hand, screaming his throat sore and crying.

"Harry! What's wrong?" he asked frantically and fell down on his knees besides the crying man, gathering him up in his arms.

"He has him! That bastard has my son!" Harry screamed and waved the letter, falling against Draco's chest.

Draco felt his heart stop and he grabbed the letter. It was a short one, but those few sentences made him feel like his heart was ripped out of his chest.

' _Potter_

_I have your lovely son. I told you to be more careful with your children._

_The game is on now, Potter. Let's see if you'll manage to save your son._

_Your Admirer.'_

A photo of a tied up, terrified Teddy was included in the letter.

* * *


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: angst, violence, drama, the revealing of the kidnapper/killer's identity. 
> 
> I apologize if this chapter isn't as good as the other ones *winces* I've tried to capture the right feelings, but I'm not sure if I succeeded in it. That and it seems I'm not good at writing scenes like the one appearing in this story >_> So I apologize if it isn't that good
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 42**

"How could this have happened? I sent him to his room," Harry murmured; eyes glazed over with tears and he was shaking all over.

Draco looked away, knowing that the mention of the letter would set off his lover again. He was already stressed out enough; the knowledge of Teddy's letter would add more stress which would bring Harry and the baby in danger. But if he didn't tell him about the letter, he would assume the killer had been in the manor, which would also add stress. Which option he chose, Harry would always stress out again.

Unbeknownst to Draco, who was struggling with his internal battle, Harry had taken notice of a crumpled up ball of paper on the floor and he reached out to grab it. His eyes grew wide when he read the letter and he started to tremble violently.

"My son ran away?" he shrieked in shock and struggled in Draco's hold.

Draco cursed violently and he tightened his hold on his lover. "Calm down!"

"Calm down, calm down? My son ran away and has been kidnapped and you tell me to calm down?" Harry snapped incredulously. "Let me go! I'm going to search him; I'm going to murder that son of a bitch!"

Not knowing any other way of calming him down, Draco placed his hand flat on Harry's forehead and murmured a sleeping charm. That would knock him out for at least an hour.

Harry stared at him in shock when a wave of sleepiness hit him hard. He struggled to keep his eyes open. "What did you do?" His speech already began to slur and he fell forward, right in Draco's open arms.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't risk losing the baby too," Draco replied with a pained face. "You need to calm down so I put a sleeping charm on you. I'm really sorry, but you gave me no other choice."

"You asshole," Harry managed to whisper before his eyes fell shut and his body relaxed.

Draco sighed and carefully picked him up bridal style and placed him on the couch. Even in his sleep Harry was frowning and Draco didn't doubt one second that Harry would be furious with him when he woke up again.

He swallowed and took a deep breath. He needed to call Severus so that he could check on Harry, because he really didn't have a clue as to how he was supposed to contact Lovegood and he needed to alert the Aurors.

"God damn it," he hissed underneath his breath and walked briskly over to his office so that he could make the much needed Floo calls.

* * *

"And?" Draco asked impatiently five minutes later when Severus leant back with a frown.

The Aurors were coming through in two minutes, because they were assembling a team with the best Aurors they had. The only reason Draco had managed to get the best team was because it was Harry's godson that had disappeared and most in the department were still loyal to Harry, even if Kingsley wasn't particular happy with him at the moment.

Severus sighed. "No need to fret," he murmured and pocketed his wand, standing up. "There is nothing wrong with either Potter or the child. His blood pressure has heightened slightly, but considering what happened today, it was to be expected. But neither one of them is in danger."

Draco sighed relieved and fell down on the couch. At least that was one worry less. Now he had to make sure he got Teddy back. He glared at the marble floor; when he got his hands on the kidnapper, he would murder him in cold blood. Screw the fact that the Malfoy name wasn't in good grace now – nobody hurt his family and got away with it.

"Try to keep Potter as calm as possible," Severus instructed and casted a wary glance at the grandfather's clock. He knew he hadn't much time left before the Aurors would come through. He needed to make an escape before he would get thrown in Azkaban. He had much rather wanted to help his godson with finding that little brat – and would have found pleasure in introducing the kidnapper to his own arsenal of curses – but as things stood now, he would only bring more trouble if the Aurors found him. Maybe he could find something in his books at home and send a message to Draco, but if he was in Azkaban, he would be of no help at all.

He walked briskly over to the door. "And for the love of Merlin, keep him inside," he insisted.

"What?" Draco asked confused, looking up.

"Don't tell me you have forgotten his hero complex, Dragon." Severus glared. "If you don't watch out, you will have to look for Potter too and in his condition, it could be fatal if he went up against that kidnapper."

"Did you really think I was going to let him go out to meet that asshole?" Draco narrowed his eyes, balling his fists.

"No, Dragon, but Potter might, considering it's his family that got kidnapped. He didn't stay in Hogwarts when he thought his godfather was held prison and he will surely try to find Teddy once he wakes up. Make sure he stays put. For all I care, you put him in a body bind spell," Severus replied harshly and slipped away when he heard the tell-tale sound of Flooing.

One minute later, five Aurors stepped inside the parlour and in the mix of questioning Draco and reading the two letters, nobody heard the sound of Flooing which marked the disappearance of Severus.

* * *

When Harry woke up, he felt extremely groggy and confused. He was staring at the white ceiling and he was lying on the couch in the parlour. What had happened? Had he fallen asleep again? Carefully he sat up and looked around. He was alone in the room, but he could hear voices talking softly in the adjoined room. He stiffened when he recognized the voice of Thomas Leroy; an Auror he had worked with on some cases. What was he doing here?

Suddenly an onslaught of memories flooded through his brain and he gasped softly when he remembered Teddy screaming at him, reading the letter that his son left behind and receiving the note that the kidnapper sent him.

He felt his throat constrict and the urge to scream bubbled up again. His head fell forward in his hands and he took deep breaths to calm himself. It wouldn't do to have a panic attack now. He needed to be calm and have a rational mind so that he could figure out a way to get Teddy back. Once he had his son back, he would talk with him and hopefully he would manage to repair their relationship again. Harry winced and took a shuddering breath before standing up, swaying a bit. He stood still until the black spots dancing in front of his eyes had disappeared and slowly made his way to the living room where he had heard the voices.

Thomas was sitting on the couch, looking at the two notes with a dark haired woman besides him, conversing softly with each other. Harry vaguely remembered that she was called Elisabeth Downsen. She had started two years after him; he had never worked together with her on a case, but he had heard that she was a pro in solving kidnapping cases.

He didn't know the names of the three other Aurors, but he recognized them as the ones who had started just a few months after him.

Draco was the first one who noticed him standing in the doorway and Harry saw a wince pass on his face.

_Good_ , he thought angrily. _He should feel wary. That's the last time he uses a spell on me._

"Harry, how are you feeling?" he asked worriedly and hurried over to him.

The Aurors glanced quickly at Harry and nodded at him in greeting, their eyes only looking at his bulging stomach for a few seconds before turning back to their tasks.

"I'm pissed off that you dared to use that spell on me," Harry hissed, but was careful to keep his voice down. "If you ever try to sedate me like that again, I'll make your life a hell, understood?"

Draco gulped, but didn't back down. "Harry, you have to understand why I had to sedate you," he replied hastily. "I didn't want the stress to hurt you or our baby. Teddy needs you to be calm and if I hadn't used that sleeping charm on you, you would have never calmed down."

Harry took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just don't do it again," he sighed, his eyes closed. "I don't like it when someone forces me to do something."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Draco whispered and thought it safe enough to wrap his arms around his lover. Harry tensed, but didn't push him away. "I won't use a spell against you without you knowing why. I just wanted you to calm down."

"Fine, fine," Harry murmured and then sighed, stepping out of Draco's hold. "Where is Scorpius?" he asked, thinking it was weird that the young boy hadn't come downstairs yet.

"Severus took him with him for now," Draco murmured in his ear and casted a wary glance at the Aurors. "Scorpius doesn't know what happened yet and I don't want him to be panicking and worrying."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"Good afternoon, Harry." Thomas nodded, his brown eyes looking at him sharply.

Carefully Harry sat down on the couch near the fireplace, hiding a grimace when his baby kicked against his rib. "Hello Thomas. Do you think you can get a magical signature of that letter?" he asked, slipping back in his Auror mode. It was much easier to treat this as a case for the moment, instead of the fact that it was _his son_ being taken away from him. If he thought about that, he would start panicking again and that wasn't something he needed now. But he would do everything in his power to have his son back. He would make that kidnapper rue the day that he chose to kidnap his son.

Thomas sighed and raked a hand through his brown hair. "No." He furrowed his eyebrows. "Whoever is behind this is either incredibly smart or had at least the sense to study the books covering the subjects of hiding your magical signature. I can't even feel one little trace of the signature," he replied annoyed.

"Mister Potter, has the kidnapper sent anything besides this note?" Elisabeth asked, her purple painted nails flashing in the sunlight when she put the note back down on the table.

Harry frowned and bit his lip, trying to remember if the kidnapper had indeed sent him something earlier than today. He was vaguely aware of Draco seating himself next to him and the moment their thighs touched, he suddenly remembered the note he had gotten on the day of the memorial. The note he had promptly forgotten about when Draco had seduced him and hadn't thought again of it afterwards.

"Shit," he breathed and yanked at his hair in frustration.

"Harry?" Draco asked worriedly and gently untangled his hand from his hair, keeping it between his own clasped ones.

"The kidnapper did send me a note," he sighed and his eyes turned troubled with guilt. "It was at the day of the memorial."

"What!" Draco asked sharply. "Why haven't you told me of that note?"

"Because when I was planning to tell you, you came in and distracted me, remember?" Harry snapped and with his free hand rubbed his forehead.

"How could you have forgotten about that note?" Draco asked frustrated; both angry at himself and at Harry. If he hadn't convinced Harry to have sex with him, he would have found out about the note and maybe, maybe they could have avoided this all. But how could Harry have forgotten about such an important thing?

"I don't know, okay?" Harry bit back annoyed, mentally beating himself up for his dire mistake. "I don't know why I forgot it; it must have left my sight."

Thomas cleared his throat and looked at them sharply. "How you were able to forget that note, doesn't matter now. What was in the note?"

"Eh…" Harry stared at the ceiling, trying very hard to remember everything written in the note. "He was babbling about the fact that I look good pregnant." He shifted uneasily and he saw Draco's face darkening. "And he said that I had to enjoy the time I had left with my family." His hands balled in fists, turning his knuckles white and anger coursed through his veins like fire.

"Did you saw someone suspicious at the memorial?" Elisabeth prodded gently.

Both Harry and Draco shook their heads.

"Well, I think we can assume that the kidnapper will contact Mister Potter again soon," an Auror with dark brown hair that already started to grey spoke up. "He wants to play a game; it's stated in the note. I'm afraid that all we can do for now is wait until the kidnapper starts his so-called game."

Draco's face tightened and his whole body tensed up, but he remained seated, knowing that there really wasn't anything he could do now except comfort his distressed lover, whose face had darkened at the mention of waiting.

When Draco's arms came around him, Harry willingly let his head fall on the strong shoulder, burying his face in the warm fabric of the white shirt Draco wore. He could only pray that everything would turn out to be okay. He didn't think he would be able to stand the thought that Teddy had died. He loved that boy like he was his biological son and there was no way he would lose him.

* * *

It turned out that they didn't have to wait that long. Only half an hour after they had made the decision to wait, a second note appeared, delivered by a brown owl. Before either of them could catch the owl, the owl had flown away, dropping the folded note on the windowsill.

With trepidation Harry opened the note.

' _You have a real stubborn son, Mister Potter. I can't decide whether that the stubbornness is integrated in his genes or that it is your influence. Either way, I had a tough time getting some answers out of him. I had to resort to some spells, but don't fret; your adorable son isn't harmed – much. After all, he would prove to be bad bait if he was harmed, now would he?_

_As I stated before, it's my wish to meet you again, Mister Potter. And the moment has finally arrived. In one hour, I'll send you the name of the place where I want to meet you. You have to come alone; no Malfoy, no Aurors. Just you. If I pick up someone else's presence – and don't doubt that I wouldn't be able to – your son pays the price._

_I'll see you in a few hours._

_Your Admirer'_

_If he hurts Teddy, I'm going to kill him_ , Harry thought viciously, his hands crumpling up the paper in fury. It had been a long time ago since he had felt this furious – actually, the only times he could remember being this furious was when Sirius had died and when the day came he had to confront Voldemort. But this person had gone too far. He could put up with being attacked, could put up with having to watch how the victims had died before he had been able to offer the cure, but if there was one thing he couldn't put up with, it was when someone attacked his family. He would make him pay dearly. He would make that man wish he had never been born.

"That fucking son of a bitch!" Harry hissed, his emerald green eyes burning with fire. The note was taken from his hands and he heard Draco hissing behind him.

"At least we know now he's planning on meeting you today," Thomas sighed, rubbing his forehead. "He says he'll send the name of the place in one hour, so we still have time to go to the Ministry and get a Polyjuice potion."

Harry whirled around and stared at Thomas incredulously. "What do you mean, 'Polyjuice potion'?" He narrowed his eyes. "Why would we need Polyjuice potion?"

"Because one of us is going to change into you to meet the kidnapper," Thomas answered slowly, frowning.

"No, I'm going to meet the kidnapper. He stated quite clearly that he only wants to meet me," Harry insisted. "For all we know, he has something in his possession that will let him know that the person meeting him isn't the real me. I won't risk Teddy."

"Harry, be reasonable," Draco argued, his grey eyes glinting. "You can't possible think of going out to meet that insane bastard when you're seven months pregnant!"

"I'm fit enough to make sure that asshole will pay!" Harry hissed, venom leaking through his voice.

"You won't go out to meet him and that's final," Draco snarled and his muscles tensed up and he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his body. He wouldn't let Harry go outside in his condition; Harry would be too weak to defend himself and not only would he lose Harry and Teddy, but his baby too. He wouldn't be able to bear the thought that he had lost three of his most precious people, because he had let his lover go to the kidnapper.

"You can't hold me here against my will!" Harry snapped back and took a few steps towards Draco.

"Please calm down, Mister Potter," Elisabeth pleaded and looked between the lovers nervously, her hands wringing her robes together.

"The hell I can't!" Draco growled. "If it takes putting you in a body bind to keep you here, I'll do it! There's no way I'm letting you out now!"

"You incredible bastard!" Harry snarled and felt his magic rising up. Before his magic could reach out and attack someone, he stormed out of the room, up to his bedroom, slamming the door shut. He fell down on the bed and grabbed a pillow, burying his head into it and screamed as loud as he could, only stopping when his throat began to feel raw.

* * *

Draco ranked a hand through his hair in frustration, yanking at some strands. "Fuck," he muttered and closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"Mister Malfoy?" Another Auror with short dark red hair stepped forwards.

"Yes?" Draco took a deep breath. He was upset that Harry was so angry with him now, but he would talk to him later. Harry just had to realize that he didn't have to be the hero every time something happened.

"Are you okay with the use of the Polyjuice potion?"

"Yes, of course." Draco raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, we need some hair of Mister Potter to use the potion," the red haired Auror replied, crossing his arms.

"Don't worry about it; I'm sure there is some hair on the couch where he slept for a few hours today," Draco replied, massaging his temples. Damn it, he could feel a headache coming up.

"Good, Elisabeth and Will will get a bottle of Polyjuice now." Thomas nodded and Elisabeth and the red haired wizard nodded back before slipping out of the room, to Floo back to the Ministry.

"Don't worry, Mister Malfoy," Thomas spoke in a soothing voice when Draco sank down on the couch again with a pained face. He knew his mask was slipping away and had he been in the presence of other purebloods, it could have proven to be fatal to let his mask slip away like that, but at the moment he didn't care. It wasn't as if the Aurors would use it against him. "We'll make sure that young Teddy will return safely to you."

Draco nodded and closed his eyes. He could only hope that Thomas was right.

* * *

Harry was sitting on his desk, leaning against the window, his legs propped up as far as he could with his stomach. His arms were wrapped around his knees and his head was leaning against the cool window. His eyes were staring vacantly out of the window. Tears had dried up on his cheeks and his throat protested every time he swallowed. He wanted a glass of water now, but he didn't want to get up to get it nor did he want to call a house elf.

He sighed and closed his eyes. The anger had faded until it was like a soft burning glow in his stomach, ready to burst into flames again at any moment.

How could Draco expect him to stay inside while Teddy's life was at stake? The kidnapper had been smart enough to capture him and smart and quick enough to give him a note without him noticing it – who said he wouldn't be able to figure out that the Harry that was going to meet him would be a fake one? He didn't want to imagine what the kidnapper would do to Teddy if he found out about the fake Harry.

Harry swallowed, wincing when his raw throat protested against the movement and slowly sat up, letting his legs dangle from the desk. He needed to figure out a way he could go to the kidnapper without Draco knowing it. Maybe he could use his Invisibility Cloak and trail after the one who would use the Polyjuice Potion? Whatever he would do, he would have to find a way soon, because the hour the kidnapper had given him was almost up.

He was startled out of his thoughts when a sharp 'tick' sounded against his window. He whipped his head around and stared at the same brown owl that had delivered the notes to him earlier. Taking a deep breath, he opened the window and accepted the note with trembling hands. The owl looked at him for a few seconds with a solemn gaze before he flew away again, hooting softly.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment to compose himself and then, with a heavy feeling in his stomach, he opened the note.

' _Because I have a feeling that Malfoy will do anything to keep you from meeting me and you being as stubborn as in your school years, I presume that you are somewhere alone in the manor. Your lover is a fool to think that he can intercept the messages meant for you only. The owl will only come to you, but that doesn't matter now._

_You have half an hour to get to the place where you and your son had a bonding moment weeks ago. It's really a shame that you didn't went on a walk with him today – maybe then you could have prevented all this. Alas, it only worked out in my favour._

_Half an hour, Potter. I'll be counting._

_Your Admirer'_

Harry grounded his teeth after he had finished reading the letter and the note was thrown on the desk in disgust.

He had half an hour to reach the open space in the park and hopefully find a way to rescue Teddy. He nodded to himself and stood up, grabbing his wand from the desk. He could do this. He had survived Voldemort's attacks multiple times – if he could do that, he could bring his son back.

Taking a deep breath, he casted a Disillusionment charm over him and softly walked out of his room and down the stairs. He halted right in front of the half closed door leading to the living room where he could hear murmurs of the Aurors and after making certain there was nothing on the floor that he could step on and create noise to alert Draco, he quickly walked over to the front door, opening it carefully and closing it slowly behind him. When he was outside, he let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding in.

All right, he had succeeded in escaping the Manor. All he had to do now was making sure he was on time at the open space.

After making sure the Disillusionment charm was still in place, he walked down the path, out the wards and on the path leading to the park.

_I'm sorry, Draco_ , he thought and his hand clenched around his wand. _But I can't risk Teddy's life, just to save mine._

* * *

He was out of breath by the time he had reached the open space in the park. He placed a hand on his back and winced when his baby kicked again. It was as if his son knew that something was going on and he expressed his feelings of anxiety by kicking the hell out of his kidneys and ribs.

Harry looked up to the sky that had been darkening a bit. Dark clouds had started to slowly gather above him, the sun making feeble attempts to push the clouds away. It seemed that a storm was coming up.

A few minutes later he stood in the middle of the open space, carefully looking around him, his whole body tense in preparation to attack. The air around him was buzzing with the summer's heat and the upcoming storm. Leaves were rustling and somewhere in the distance he could hear birds chirping.

He whipped around and held his wand out in front of him when the sound of branches being pushed aside were heard behind him.

A dark figure, hidden in a cloak came forwards, holding something huddled in his arms. The person bent down and placed the bundle down and Harry gasped when the hood of the cloak fell off and revealed Teddy's tearstained face. His brown eyes were looking at him in panic and fear and his shoulders were trembling with his suppressed sobs.

"Teddy!" He took a step forwards, but was forced to stop when a wand was pointed at Teddy's throat.

"One step closer, Mister Potter and your son pays the price," the man told him coldly.

Harry looked at him furiously. "You god damned son of a bitch!" he hissed and his wand responded to his anger with red sparks. "Let Teddy go! I came here alone, just like you asked, so just do what you want with me and let Teddy go!"

"My, my, ever the sacrificing martyr," the man mocked him. "It really shouldn't surprise me."

"Just let him go," Harry repeated coldly.

"Ah, well you see, I can't do that," the man told him almost cheerfully. "You see, years ago I made a promise to myself that I would make you suffer like you made me suffer. It took me a while to get there, but here we are."

"Who are you?" Harry swallowed the lump of fear in his throat. It wouldn't do to panic now; he had to keep a clear mind if he wanted to get away with Teddy.

"Have you honestly forgotten me, Potter? I'm appalled," the man told him, sighing. A hand came up and tugged the hood off, revealing dirty blond hair and a very familiar face.

Harry stared at him in shock. This couldn't be true. He was just seeing things. There was no way that _he_ was the one who had poisoned all those people, who had kidnapped him and injected a pregnancy potion in him, who had kidnapped Teddy and was holding him now at wand point. This had to be some sick joke.

"And Potter, do you finally remember me now?" Dennis Creevey asked him with cold, hate filled eyes.

"Dennis?" Harry said aghast. "That, this is not possible. Are you …? Why would you …"

"Why would I poison all those people, make sure you got pregnant and kidnap your son?" Dennis laughed harshly. "To get my revenge on you, of course!"

"Revenge? For what?" Harry whispered, his mind still reeling with shock at seeing Dennis in front of him. Never in a million years had he expected Dennis to be the one who was the killer and the kidnapper. What had happened to the cheerful, little boy who had adored him in Hogwarts?

Dennis' wand pressed harder against Teddy's neck and Harry hissed warningly. "It's your fault that my brother died," Dennis hissed, his eyes burning with hate now, his mouth turning in a sneer.

"What, Colin?" Harry asked confused. "Why would it be my fault …"

Dennis cut him off. "Because he wanted to impress you, he made sure he could be at the final fight too! He went there and fought with Death Eaters and got killed because he wanted to impress you!" He took a deep breath and tears glistened in his eyes. "If you had killed You-Know-Who sooner, my brother would still be alive!"

"Dennis, there was no way I could have killed Voldemort sooner," Harry started, but felt guilt churning in his stomach. How many times had he wished he had killed Voldemort sooner? If he had been able too, more people would have survived – Teddy might still have his parents then.

"Yes well, you could have tried," Dennis snapped. "Do you know that he adored you? He was talking all the time about how wonderful and smart you were and how he was able to feel safe in the school, because he knew you would defend everyone. He wanted nothing more than to be your friend and instead of accepting his friendship, you pushed him away like he was an irritating fly. His need to impress you and win your approval has cost him his life!"

"I'm sorry, Dennis," Harry murmured, biting his lip, a few tears leaking out of his own eyes. "I wished I could have killed Voldemort sooner and I'm sorry that your brother died. He was a good friend."

"Bullshit!" Dennis suddenly shouted. "You couldn't have cared less if he gotten himself killed or not! You never took the time to visit his grave while you did have the time to visit those of other Gryffindors! You never even sent your condolences while you fucking knew he had died! There was a list of the deaths in every fucking newspaper and I saw you reading those fucking newspapers! So don't give me that shit about you being sorry!"

"I really didn't mean to make you feel as if your brother's death didn't bother me." Harry took a pleading tone in his voice. "I was devastated by every death that I heard and I wished I could have visited every grave, really! Please, I'm sorry."

Dennis started to laugh coldly. "I wonder how many people have heard you begging," he smirked. "But I'm going to make you pay. I'm going to hurt you just as much as you hurt me. I finally got you where I wanted to have you, Potter. After all those months of playing cat and mouse with the Aurors, I'm finally going to have my revenge now."

"What are you doing?" Harry asked fearfully when Dennis pulled Teddy up harshly and held him in front of his body, his wand now digging in Teddy's chest.

"You never had any siblings, so I can't kill them to revenge my own brother, but I can take your children away," Dennis smiled cruelly. "There is a reason why I injected that pregnancy potion in you."

Before Harry could conjure up a shield, roped had bounded his hands behind his back and his legs together, forcing him to stand still if he didn't want to risk falling on his stomach. A cloth was gagging him and his eyes started to tear up.

"You see, the more children you lose, the more devastated you'll be," Dennis started to explain softly, his eyes never leaving Harry's face. "I know that you had a children wish, so I just had to wait for the right moment until you finally made children. Of course that never happened when you were together with the Weasley chick and after years of you seeing alone, I thought I would just had to content myself with killing your godson. And then you got together with Malfoy." He stopped and laughed softly, shaking his head. "Imagine my surprise when I found out that you liked to take it up the arse. And Malfoy nonetheless! So I decided that you should have a child of your own. I knew it would hurt you more if you lost your biological child. So it's all very easy, Potter. I'm going to use some very nifty curses on your godson that will leave him screaming like a baby and then when I get tired of it, I'll kill him. Right in front of your eyes. And you won't be able to do anything to stop me."

He smiled even more cruelly. "I wonder how long it will take before the shock takes over your body and forces your body to miscarriage. I bet it won't take long, considering it's a male pregnancy after all. And we all know how delicate those are. I think you won't even last until the death of this boy," he giggled and he sounded truly crazy at this point. He didn't seem to possess one sane part. "And then you'll lose your own baby. Your biological child. I won't bother killing you after that. If you don't kill yourself from losing your godson and your baby, I'm sure that Malfoy rejecting you will finish you off. After all, Malfoys are very protective of their children and if you lose his child … Well, he won't have anyone else to blame than you, because you're the one who ignored his order to stay inside. He won't even be able to look at you, knowing that it is your fault he lost his child. You're a bad boy, Potter. And bad boys get punished."

With that, he pushed Teddy a few feet away of Harry and forced him to sit on his knees and look right into Harry's eyes. "Hm, I think I'll start with the Cutting spell. What do you think?" He winked and Harry screamed and lurched forwards, falling on his knees when the spell hit Teddy's cheek and forced his skin to split. Blood spat out of the wound and the boy cried harder, the blood trailing down his cheeks and falling on his lap.

Harry managed to spit out the cloth and screamed, "You fucking coward! Let him go! If you want to hurt someone, hurt me! I'm the one who hurt you, I'm the one you should punish! He's just an innocent boy! You can't do this!"

Dennis stared at him pensively. "Hm, no can do, I'm afraid," he hummed. "I want to see you suffer, Potter and what better way to make a parent suffer than to hurt their children?" he snickered and turned back to Teddy. "Let's see if you have the endurance of Potter." He smiled wickedly. "Crucio."

"NO!"

While Teddy trashed and screamed and cried and writhed on the ground, trying to escape the curse that made him feel as if his veins were burning up, his lungs collapsing and his bones being smashed, Harry tried to free himself while screaming his lungs out.

"STOP! JUST STOP! PLEASE!"

Dennis just laughed and ignored Harry's frantic pleas.

* * *

"We need some clothes from Mister Potter if we want to pull this off," Thomas said calmly after Will had swallowed the potion.

"Ah yes, sure, I'll go get some," Draco murmured and stood up in a daze, still thinking that this had to be one cruel nightmare.

Arriving at the closed bedroom door, Draco took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Harry? I know you're angry at me, but can you at least open the door? We, ah, need some clothes," he called out and waited a bit, but no answer came forth. He frowned and knocked again. "Harry, please, this is really not the time to be stubborn," he said annoyed, but still no reply came.

Trying to ignore the feeling that something was wrong, he opened the door slowly and entered the room. "Harry?" he asked hesitatingly and furrowed his eyebrows when he didn't see Harry in the room. Had he been mistaken and had Harry gone to another room? He wanted to turn around and search through the other rooms, but a piece of paper caught his eyes and instead, he walked over to the desk.

"The hell?" he muttered and picked up the crumpled parchment, smoothing it out so that he could read it properly. The content of the letter made his blood feel like ice.

' _Because I have a feeling that Malfoy will do anything to keep you from meeting me and you being as stubborn as in your school years, I presume that you are somewhere alone in the manor. Your lover is a fool to think that he can intercept the messages meant for you only. The owl will only come to you, but that doesn't matter now._

_You have half an hour to get to the place where you and your son had a bonding moment weeks ago. It's really a shame that you didn't went on a walk with him today – maybe then you could have prevented all this. Alas, it only worked out in my favour._

_Half an hour, Potter. I'll be counting._

_Your Admirer'_

"FUCK!" Draco swore and ran downstairs, back to the living room where the Aurors were waiting for him. It was useless to continue his search for Harry in the Manor. The moment he had read the note, he knew that Harry had gone out to meet the kidnapper. _I should have put him in a body bind spell after all_ , Draco thought darkly and rounded the corner to enter the room.

The five Aurors looked at him confused when he didn't show up with Harry's clothes.

He threw the letter on the table with a disgusted look on his face. "The kidnapper managed to send him a note without us knowing it. The idiot went to meet him," he said and his jaw tightened until it felt as if his jaw would never loosen up again.

"Shit," Elisabeth sighed after she had read the letter.

"Do you have an idea where this place could be?" Will asked, frowning.

"I don't know," Draco replied frustrated. "The only place they went to weeks ago was the park near our home."

"That park isn't exactly small," another witch with silver hair pulled up in a bun pointed out. She had been silent the whole time and had been staring broodingly at Draco and the notes.

"Are you sure you don't know the place mentioned in the letter?" Thomas tried again, waving the note in the air.

"No, I really don't know." Draco shook his head. "They never told me where exactly in the park they went."

"Well, damn it. Then we have a big problem," Will cursed. "It will take too long to search the whole park."

"The worst thing is that we should have anticipated Potter doing something like that," Thomas sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Of course the owl would find him wherever he was," he muttered darkly. "I should have put a fucking tracking charm on him."

Draco's head shot up and he stared at Thomas with wide eyes.

"What?" Thomas stared at him warily.

"A tracking charm! I put a tracking charm on Harry when he left with Teddy to the park, weeks ago," Draco explained, his eyes turning hopeful again. "It should still be on him, because I don't think he took it off when he returned."

"At least luck has turned a bit to our side," Will muttered.

"We have to hurry now," Thomas said urgently, but a hint of a grin appeared on his face. Maybe they would still be on time.

Draco nodded grimly and gripped his wand tighter.

_Hold on a bit longer for me, Harry_ , he thought and ran out of the door, a few house elves looking at him worriedly.

* * *

Harry had almost lost his voice and his wrists were bleeding from all the tugging he had done, when Dennis stopped for a moment to appreciate his 'work'.

Teddy was nothing more than a quivering, sobbing mess by now. Heavily bleeding cuts and large bruises littered his while body and his breath had started to sound laboured. He didn't have the strength to sit up anymore and was lying on his side on the ground, branches and leaves snagging his hair. The pain in his head was killing him and his sight had started to waver the second Dennis had stopped the Cruciatus curse. He had problems with concentrating on anything and he had never felt so scared in his life before. He knew all this was his fault. If he hadn't been so stupid to leave the house, that evil man wouldn't have found him and all this wouldn't be happening now. It was his fault that his dad was hurting now and it would be his fault if his dad lost the baby.

He never wanted all this to happen. His burning eyes squeezed a few more tears out, but he was too tired to cry anymore. He just wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep. Just go to sleep and not feeling all that pain anymore. But he had his dad to think of.

With a lot of trouble, he turned his head a bit so that he could look at his dad. His body started to tremble again when he saw how awful his dad looked. His dad's face looked haggard and he was leaning on his knees, hunching over, trying to protect his baby, but at the same time, he was still begging the man to release him and to leave him alone. Tears had never stopped leaving his eyes and Teddy was sure that his dad almost had lost his voice by now.

Teddy wondered why his dad was going so far for him. Hadn't he only brought trouble to him? Even when he ran away, he was still being a nuisance to his dad. It was his fault that his dad was hurting now. Why hadn't his dad stayed away? Didn't he have a baby to protect?

Suddenly his dad's green, pained eyes locked on his and he stared back, stifling a sob.

"I'm going to get you away from here, okay, sweetie?" Dad whispered and once again he started tugging at the rope binding his wrists.

"Wh – why?" Teddy's voice broke, but he still managed to force that word out.

"Why?" His dad stared at him with a determined face. "Because you're my son and I love you. And there is nothing in this world that's going to take you away from me."

Teddy's breath caught and he blinked, wondering whether he had heard his dad wrong. Could it be that he really wasn't a burden to his dad?

"How touching," Dennis drawled. "Sorry to prove you wrong," he snickered and once again brought up his wand.

"DON'T YOU DARE HURTING HIM AGAIN!" Dad screamed, his eyes screaming murder at the blond man. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Dennis just smirked and opened his mouth again, this time to perform Bone Crushing curse, but froze when a low growl sounded behind him. Before anyone realized what was happening, a dark brown wolf suddenly flew through the air, landing heavily on Dennis, growling and snarling.

"What the fuck!" Dennis cried out and tried to scramble away from the raging wolf, but he didn't get far. His wand soared through the air and landed ten feet away from him, underneath a tree, leaving Dennis vulnerable to the wolf's rage.

Harry stared with an open mouth how the wolf took a hold of Dennis' arm and tugged at it so harshly, that a huge junk of flesh was ripped out of the arm, showing the white of the bone and the shining red of the tissue surrounding the wound. Dennis howled with pain and tried to kick the wolf off of him, but it was useless. Another vicious bite took four of the fingers on his right hand away, making sure that he would never be able to hold a wand again. Dennis' unwounded hand scrambled over the ground and Teddy hastily shuffled out of his reach, ignoring the flaring pain in his head and back when he did that.

Dennis found a branch and lifted it up, trying to hit the wolf on his head. The wolf just growled and his huge jaw closed over the wrist that held the branch and with one sickening crunch bit it clean off.

Harry ripped his eyes off the gruesome sight and tugged harshly at the ropes, letting out a triumphant sound when he felt the ropes finally loosen and ripped his hands hastily free and made quick work of the ropes holding his legs together. When he was finally free, he crawled over to Teddy and released the boy of his bindings, immediately pulling him into his arms, hugging him tightly to his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed in the familiar smell of Teddy.

"My god, Teddy," he breathed and forced back a sob. "I'm so sorry you got hurt. I'm so sorry."

"No, dad, I'm sorry," Teddy whispered and hugged his dad fiercely back, ignoring his protesting muscles. "I'm so sorry I ran away, I didn't want to hurt you," he sobbed. "I'm so sorry I've been a bad son."

"No, Teddy, don't ever believe that," Dad whispered harshly. "You've never been a bad son and you'll never be a bad son. You're my son and I don't ever want to lose you. I love you, sweetie; I'll always do, no matter what you do."

Teddy sobbed and buried his head in his dad's shoulder, feeling him trembling as well. He really had wanted to hear those words so badly …

A sharp intake of breath made him aware that the danger was not over yet. He stifled his sobs and breathed in shallowly and realized he couldn't hear the sounds of ripping flesh any longer.

Fearfully he lifted up his head, but his sight was restricted by his dad, who put him behind his body.

The little he could see however made him want to hurl and wish he had just passed out.

The man who had taken him away was now lying a bit further on the forest ground, his head bleeding heavily from the slash he had acquired when his head had hit a large rock. The large wound on his arm was bleeding sluggishly and Teddy could see bite marks littering his sides and face. He had only one ear left and his shirt was torn apart. Blood was pooling quickly around him, making the air heavy with the coppery scent. But he was still breathing.

"Merlin," Harry breathed and he looked ready to pass out.

Teddy shivered, but couldn't tear his eyes away from the gruesome scene.

Suddenly the wolf halted in front of them and both held their breath, Harry gripping his wand tightly after having found it on the ground.

The golden eyes of the wolf stared at them solemnly and the animal whined softly, coming forwards to sniff at Harry and Teddy who stiffened. The wolf whined again and butted his head against Harry's hand as if to encourage him to stroke his coarse fur.

"What the …" Harry murmured dazed and stuck out his hand carefully to the wolf. The wolf sniffed again and licked his hand. Harry blinked and stared more intently at the amber coloured eyes of the wolf. They seemed so familiar …

Teddy was startled a bit when the wolf licked the cut on his cheek and he resisted the urge to squirm away. The tongue against his split skin felt weird, but comforting at the same time. That wasn't normal, was it?

Harry gasped softly when an image of exactly the same eyes entered his mind. The same eyes that were looking at him now, had been looking at him in his third year, on the evening that he met Sirius in real life.

"Moony?" he whispered incredulously. But that couldn't be true; Remus was dead. He had seen his body lying together with his wife on the table in the Great Hall. There was no way that Remus was standing in front of him now.

The wolf looked at him intently for a moment and butted his hand and Teddy's head for a last time before he left, disappearing in the forest like a ghost. Only the mutilated form of Dennis was a sign that Harry hadn't dreamt this encounter.

"Dad?" Teddy's voice shook and his wide eyes looked at him in shock, but he was still clinging to Harry.

"Let's go …" Harry doubled over suddenly, gripping his stomach and hissing when a sharp stab of pain shot through him like a knife.

"Dad?" Teddy asked, panicking.

Harry groaned and bent his head, gripping his stomach even more tightly. "No," he muttered horrified when he felt his baby moving frantically. Another stab of pain shot through him and he clenched his jaw to swallow the scream of pain that threatened to come out.

"Dad, what's happening to you?" Teddy asked in a shrill voice. His eyes widened further. "Dad, you're bleeding!"

Before Harry could reassure him, he felt the blackness taking over him and he slipped away, leaving a frantic Teddy besides him.

* * *

That was how Draco found them five minutes later: Harry lying on the ground unconscious with Teddy crying next to him all cut up, bruised and bloody.

Draco's heart stopped. No, this couldn't be happening, was the only thought that shot through his mind before he yelled for the Aurors to join him.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: drama, bit of angst, bit of fluff and sorry if Teddy's realization seemed rushed – I'm going to explain that more in the next chapter. And sorry if this seems rushed a bit ^^;
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 43**

_20th of July_

"Holy shit!" Thomas gasped when he and the other Aurors arrived at the open space.

Draco was already kneeling next to an unconscious Harry and trying to soothe a hysterical Teddy.

Their eyes were drawn involuntarily to the mauled body of a blond man. Blood was pooling around him and his breath came out in slow gasps. Elisabeth had to hurl when she saw the ripped off hand and the large bite out of the man's arm.

"Oh my god," she said breathlessly and coughed.

"What the hell happened here?" Will asked shocked.

"I don't know, but at the moment I don't particular care why Creevey looks like that," Draco growled and felt Harry's stomach, his face growing alarmed when he felt how hard it was. "I need a Portkey to my house now," he demanded. "Harry and Teddy need a Healer immediately."

"Why not bring him to Saint Mungos?" Elisabeth asked, her body trembling and made a Portkey, specially designed for pregnant people, out of a coin.

"Because that will attract too much attention," Draco snapped in his panic. "I'm sure that Lovegood already knows she has to be there – at least if Harry is right," he muttered and looked at Teddy who was staring wide eyed at him. "Teddy, grab my hand; I'm going to use this Portkey to bring you, me and Harry to the manor."

Teddy nodded and grabbed Draco's arm. Draco nodded to the Aurors. "Thank you for helping us," he said politely and two seconds later, he, Teddy and Harry disappeared in a flash.

Will bent down next to the blond man and felt his pulse. "He's still alive," he called out astonished. With all those wounds, he hadn't expected the man to be still alive. Granted his pulse was weak, but it still was there.

"Good, we bring him to Saint Mungos," Thomas ordered. "Once he's healed enough, we can interrogate him and send him to Azkaban."

Will nodded and together with the two other Aurors, he disappeared to Saint Mungos with a Portkey made of a scarf.

Elisabeth looked at Thomas and bit her lip. "Should we ask Malfoy what he knows about the man? I mean he did give us a last name."

Thomas sighed. "Let's wait with that for a few days," he murmured and collected the ripped off hand with a grimace and stuck it in a bag. "I don't think he'll appreciate us asking questions when Potter's life and the life of their children are at risk."

Elisabeth nodded. "Yes sir. Shall we report back to Kingsley that we have the person who is probably responsible for the poisoned victims?"

"Yes, let's do that." Thomas nodded and Apparated, Elisabeth following swiftly.

* * *

"Fuck, fuck, this is not good," Draco muttered and raced up the stairs to their bedroom, after having made sure that Teddy would stay put for the moment on the couch in the living room. A house elf was looking after him to make sure he wouldn't lose consciousness.

He threw the door open and rushed over to the bed and laid Harry down carefully. Harry's face was quickly turning very pale, even paler than Draco's skin. Even in his unconsciousness his face was contorting with pain and his body trembled with contractions.

Draco pulled his hands back and pushed back a sob when his hands came back red with Harry's blood.

"Draco, go wash that blood away. It doesn't suit you." A dreamy voice alerted him to another presence in the room and he spun around, coming face to face with Luna.

"How did you get in here?" he asked startled and lowered his wand that he had drawn instinctively.

Luna blinked and walked past him, sinking down on the bed next to Harry. "Harry's fire spirit warned me of course," she replied and hummed distracted when she put her hands on Harry's hard stomach. "So I came here, because the spirit told me that Harry needs help."

"Do you think you can save Harry and our baby?" Draco asked, his voice trembling a bit. He tried to tone down his hope in case something went wrong. He knew what that hard stomach and all that blood meant - Harry's body was forced into contractions and there was a big chance that the baby wouldn't make it. The baby was still too young to be born right now. It wouldn't survive out of Harry's body.

Draco clenched his hands against his sides. He didn't know where he should direct his anger at; at Creevey for hurting Harry and almost killing Teddy, or Harry himself for ignoring his wish to stay inside. If Harry just had stayed inside when he told him to, none of this would have happened. Harry wouldn't be struggling to survive and the baby wouldn't be in danger of dying, because Harry's body was forced into labour. Rationally he knew that he shouldn't be angry at Harry, especially not on a time like this, but it was so hard to not be angry at him. Why hadn't he stayed inside? Why did he have to play the bloody hero again? Had it been that much to ask him to stay inside? Hadn't he thought at all about their baby's safety?

"Harry is stubborn and your baby is too. I think I can save your baby," Luna interrupted his thoughts and he looked at her wide eyed. She looked back at her hands that were glowing blue. "Why don't you go to little Teddy? He's scared now; he needs you."

"Eh, yes, I go … do that," Draco murmured in a daze and after rubbing the blood of his hands with a towel, he ran downstairs, startling the house elf that was trying to get Teddy to drink something.

"Master Draco, little Master Teddy not wanting Tinky to help him," Tinky said, wringing her little hands nervously, her large, floppy ears hanging down in distress.

"That's all right, Tinky. I'll take it over from here," Draco assured her and the house elf popped away after casting a last anxious look at the shivering boy on the couch.

"Let me check on you, okay?" Draco murmured softly and kneeled down in front of the trembling boy. "Accio medical kit."

For a while it was silent while Draco tended to Teddy's wounds. He cleaned up the cuts and disinfected them and put Fast Bruise Healing on the bruises that had started to appear. After quickly treating the wounds on his body, Draco checked for internal wounds and was relieved to find that there were none serious life threatening; Teddy had one cracked rib and a sprained ankle, but nothing really bad. Noticing how Teddy was grabbing his head and trying to focus his eyes on him, Draco summoned a Headache potion and gave it to the boy, together with a Calming Draught.

"Your rib is going to feel sore for a few days, but the potion I gave you will quickly heal your rib," Draco muttered and spelled pyjamas on the shivering boy together with a heavy blanket. "You need to be careful with your sprained ankle, but that should heal soon too."

"How is dad?" Teddy's small voice squeaked and he coughed a bit.

Draco sighed and leant back on his feet, staring at the doorway. "I'm not sure, Teddy," he told him softly. "Lovegood is with him now and she said she'll be able to help him. We can only trust her to tell the truth."

"And … and the baby? What's going to happen to the baby?" Teddy asked, staring at the floor in shame. He couldn't believe what a mess he made. And all because he was so stupid to leave the house and hurt his dad.

Draco bit his lip and stared at Teddy who didn't dare to look at him. "I really don't know," he whispered. "To be honest, it doesn't look good."

Teddy flinched.

"Harry's body went into shock and now he's trying to fight for both his life and the baby's. I wish I could tell you that the baby will survive, but I can't. I really don't know what will happen with the baby."

"If the baby is born tonight, will he … will he survive?" Teddy dared to ask. His whole body felt like lead and his stomach was heavy with guilt. It would be his fault if the baby didn't survive; how would he ever be able to repair his relationship with his dad if he was indirectly responsible for the death of his baby?

"Babies in a male pregnancy can only survive at the end of the eight month." Draco took a deep breath, trying to hold his tears back. He had to be strong for his family now; if need be, he could break down later in his own room. "Harry isn't eight months far yet. I'm sorry, Teddy, but with what happened, I don't know if …" He shook his head. "Lovegood is convinced that both Harry and our baby will survive, so we just have to trust her. Harry told me he trusts her with his life, so we should too."

"I'm sorry, Draco," Teddy whimpered and curled up in a ball. "I didn't mean for dad or the baby to get hurt. I only wanted to make dad happy. I'm so sorry." He began to shake and tears started to roll down his cheeks.

He wished he could confine to Draco how sorry he really was for hurting his dad and the baby inside of him, but he couldn't find the right words. He didn't know how to apologize right.

He was shocked when he felt two warm, strong arms wrapping around him and bringing him on a hard lap, his head being softly coaxed on a harsh breathing chest.

"Ssh, it isn't your fault," Draco murmured, rocking him back and forth. "You couldn't have known what would happen. It's that bastard's fault for hurting you so much. It isn't your fault."

"B-but if I hadn't be-been there, da-dad wouldn't ha-have got-gotten hurt," Teddy cried, his hands curling up against his own chest, not daring to hug Draco back.

Why was he so nice to him? Why wasn't he furious with him and screaming at him? Wasn't it his fault that his dad was so hurt now? Why didn't Draco blame him?

He stiffened when a pale, clammy hand pulled his chin up and he looked right into shimmering, grey eyes. With a shock Teddy realized that Draco was trying to hold back tears.

"Do you know why your dad was there?" Draco asked; a weird, urgent tone in his voice.

Teddy hiccupped. "I-I don't know."

"Because he loves you," Draco continued. "He loves you so much that he couldn't bear the thought that you would be hurt by that mad man. That's why he went to get you. He doesn't want to lose you, Teddy. Even if you were never kidnapped and had just run away, Harry would have searched till the end of the world to find you. He wouldn't have stopped before he had you in his arms. You're his son, Teddy; it doesn't matter to him if you have his blood or not. He loved you from the moment he got you. He would never give you up. Do you believe me? He loves you too much to let you go."

It was as if light finally found him. Teddy sobbed harder and buried his face in Draco's neck, soaking his shirt with his tears. Any doubt that his dad had only loved him out pity or because he had to, had vanished. Draco was right; would his dad really have gone through so much trouble to get him back, especially in the condition he was in, if he didn't love him? Would it matter that much if they didn't share blood?

Teddy loved him like a son would love his dad, so why would it be impossible to believe that his godfather would be able to love him like a father would?

"Do you believe me, Teddy?" Draco asked softly, stroking his hair and rubbing his back.

Teddy nodded and hiccupped again.

"Good," Draco smiled weakly. "You need to go rest, all right? A lot of things happened today and I know you must be tired."

"But I don't want to rest! I want to stay here with you and wait until dad wakes up," Teddy snivelled, rubbing his eyes. A handkerchief entered his vision and he accepted it gratefully.

"I'm sure your dad would be angry at me if I didn't let you rest," Draco smiled faintly, stroking back Teddy's black hair. "I promise you that I will wake you up immediately when Harry opens his eyes."

"Really?" Teddy asked and blew his nose.

"Really." Draco nodded.

"All right then," Teddy murmured reluctantly. His eyes started to feel heavy and he felt his head drooping a bit.

"Good boy," Draco whispered and stood up with him on his hip, bringing him up to his room. He laid the boy down in his bed and tucked him in, giving him a kiss on his forehead. "You need to take this Dreamless Potion, okay? This will make sure that you won't have any nightmares."

Teddy nodded and grimaced when he swallowed the potion.

Draco accepted the empty vial and closed the curtains, darkening the room in the process.

"Sleep well," he said softly.

Teddy nodded meekly and closed his eyes, slowly relaxing in his bed as the potion took effect.

Draco closed the door softly behind him and leant against it with a huge sigh, clenching and unclenching his hands.

When he was ensured he wouldn't have a breakdown soon, he walked further until he reached the closed door of his bedroom. The room where Harry was.

Draco hesitated, his hand on the doorknob. Would it be all right to enter it? Or would he disturb Lovegood if he entered the room now?

He jumped two feet in the air when the door suddenly flew open and he hastily stepped back.

Luna smiled dreamily at him, but her smile turned creepy when Draco noticed the blood on her hands.

"Lovegood?" he asked sharply, eyeing her warily.

The blonde woman blinked. "Draco," she smiled and studied her bloody hands with a morbid fascination before she grabbed her wand and cleaned her hands.

"And? How did it go? How are they? Is Harry all right? And the baby? Did the baby survive?" Draco fired his questions rapidly, barely taking a pause to breathe.

Luna tapped her wand against her hand, little blue sparks shooting out of it. "It was difficult." For the first time since Draco knew her, her voice had taken a serious tone and he immediately tensed. Luna being serious – did this mean bad news? "Harry's magic was working very hard to keep him and your baby alive, but because the baby was taken up almost all Harry's magic, I had to give him some of my magic to compensate. Harry lost a lot of blood too, so I had to give him Blood Replenishing potions. They both stood on the edge for a while."

"And now? How are they now?" Draco resisted the urge to fidget.

"They are both alive and all right now," Luna answered and he sighed in relief.

Suddenly his legs gave out and he sagged down against the wall, not caring that his image of untouchable and cool Malfoy was shattered now. "Thank Merlin," he muttered and closed his eyes, laughing weakly.

"But I need to monitor both of them for the rest of the night to make sure that nothing will happen and Harry is on bed rest for the remainder of his pregnancy. I don't trust his body to be able to carry through the pregnancy if he walks around like usual," Luna told him, putting her wand in her pocket.

"Can I see him?" Draco asked hopefully.

"He isn't awake now," she warned him, her blue eyes looking at him with sympathy.

"I know that, but I just want to be with him now," Draco replied and stood up.

She hummed and the air around her cleared up significantly. "Go on, I'm going to warn Severus that it is safe to come here now," she murmured and skipped away before Draco could utter his surprise at hearing her say that.

He shook his head; really why was he still surprised at anything Lovegood did?

The door creaked a bit when he opened it and he made a mental note to ask one of the house elves to oil it. The curtains were drawn almost completely, leaving only a small trail of sunlight to light up the room.

Softly Draco walked over to the bed and sank down on it, grabbing Harry's hand after a moment of hesitating. His other hand trailed over Harry's bulging stomach, hidden underneath the thin blanket. There was no movement in Harry's stomach, but Draco reminded himself to trust Lovegood. She had said they were fine, so they had to be fine.

Harry laid very still; only his chest moved in the rhythm of his breathing. His cheeks had regained some colour and the blood had disappeared. Either Lovegood had used some very powerful cleaning spells or she had changed the sheets quickly. Harry's rose lips were slightly opened and a few strands of his hair swayed every time he exhaled.

Draco took a shuddering breath and suddenly it was as if a dam had broken. His shoulders shook with the force of his sobs and tears streamed freely over his cheeks.

"Merlin, Harry, don't ever do that again," he whispered through his sobs and his grip on Harry's slender hand tightened. "You don't know how afraid I was to lose you, Teddy and our baby. Do you know how scared I got when I opened the door to find you gone? Damn it, Harry!" he suddenly hissed and glared at his unconscious lover. "When I tell you to stay put, you fucking stay put! You don't sneak out of the house without warning me and risking your life and that of our baby in the progress. You could have died today – did that ever occur to you?" he snapped, not caring that Harry wasn't awake to hear him. He needed to let this out now before he lost his mind. "Of course that didn't occur to you," he continued bitterly. "Because you're the famous Harry Potter who can't be harmed. Well, guess what; you're not immortal, you're not a superhero. It's not your job to rescue everybody. Seriously, it's not that hard to stay at the side lines once in a while. You should try it some time," he sneered, breathing heavily. "Well, the only good thing that came out of your suicidal stupidity is that Teddy finally believes you love him. But I swear to Merlin, Potter, that if you ever pull a stunt like that again, you're going to be locked up for the rest of your life. And don't think I'm joking. I would do that, if it made sure you would be safe."

Draco sighed and conjured up a handkerchief, drying his face and blowing his nose. "God damned Potter, making me cry like a baby," he muttered darkly and stood up, carefully climbing over Harry's relaxed body to stretch out beside him, slipping an arm underneath his back and pulling himself closer to his lover.

"When you wake up and there's no danger to the baby, you're going to get it for real," he swore and pressed his lips tightly together. He sighed again and tried to relax his strained muscles.

Harry's body was warming up again and Draco felt himself getting sleepy which he tried to fight. He had to make sure that Severus got correctly informed about what happened exactly, because he didn't trust Lovegood to do the job well; he still had to talk with the Aurors and find out about the motives of Creevey. He should be near Teddy to make certain the boy didn't suffer in his sleep …

He should … he should …

Draco's eyes closed and his breathing evened out.

* * *

Someone was shaking his shoulder and it was starting to annoy him.

"Get up, brat. We need to talk," a voice hissed and the shaking got rougher.

"I'm up, I'm up," Draco muttered annoyed and shot up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "What?" he asked and blinked when Severus stood next to the bed with a frown on his face. "Severus?"

"No, the tooth fairy," Severus sneered. "Of course I'm Severus."

"So Lovegood managed to contact you?" Draco asked surprised and looked over at Harry, who was still sleeping. "How late is it?"

"It's nine in the evening and both the little rascals are awake and very worried about their daddy and papa," Severus sneered and stepped back, making room for Draco to climb out of the bed without disturbing Harry. "Miss Lovegood is staying with them at the moment, holding them back from storming up to this room."

Draco laughed nervously and carefully manoeuvred around Harry, leaning with his hands on both sides of Harry's head and swinging his right leg over Harry's legs, holding still above him when Harry murmured something inaudibly and his head turning on his left side before falling silent again. Draco breathed out in relief and finished climbing over him, tugging his clothes lower to straighten out the wrinkles on his shirt.

"Come on, your son wants you to explain why his daddy isn't awake to see him and why Teddy has red eyes from crying," Severus muttered and slipped out of the room soundlessly.

Draco rubbed his neck tiredly, but followed his godfather after casting another glance at his lover.

"Papa!" Scorpius came running to him, stretching his arms out when Draco entered the room. Teddy was curled up against Luna who was stroking his hair and looking out of the window at the stars brightening up the sky.

"Hey, sweetie," Draco muttered and picked up his son, burying his face in the light blond hair, taking comfort in the familiar flower smell of Scorpius.

"What's wrong with daddy? Why is Teddy sad? Where is daddy? Why are you sad, papa?" Scorpius chattered, placing his two little hands on Draco's cheeks, leaning back to look at his papa worriedly.

Slowly Draco walked over to the couch and sat down, relaxing against the back of the couch. He placed Scorpius on his lap and glanced at Teddy. "Are you feeling a bit better?" he asked softly.

Teddy made a non-committal sound and shrugged.

Suddenly Luna pushed Teddy towards Draco, who quickly tugged him to his side to avoid him falling off the couch.

"I'm going to check on Harry," she said in her dreamy tone and almost seemed to float out of the room.

"Check on? Is daddy sick?" Scorpius asked, cocking his head to the right.

"Scorpius, something happened today," Draco began carefully. Teddy snuggled closer to him and hid his face in his shoulder, his shoulders trembling a bit. "A bad man took Teddy away and daddy went after him to get Teddy back."

Scorpius gasped horrified and stared wide eyed at Teddy. "That was very bad of that man!"

"It was." Draco nodded and began to caress Teddy's back to soothe him. "But both Teddy and daddy got hurt, so while Teddy got healed easily, daddy has to rest in bed until the baby is born."

This time Teddy's head shot up too. "Until the baby is born?" he squeaked. "Is it that bad?"

"No, no, Luna managed to heal both the baby and daddy, but she wants to make sure that daddy doesn't overexert himself, so he has to stay in bed until the birth."

"But daddy is going to be okay?" Scorpius asked with a trembling lower lip and a tearful gaze.

Draco nodded. "Don't worry, daddy will be okay." He hugged the blond boy to his chest.

"Are you okay too?" Scorpius asked Teddy and surprised them all by taking Teddy's hand and rubbing over it.

Teddy blinked and cocked his head to the left. "Yeah, I'm okay," he muttered slowly and briefly glanced at his hand trapped between Scorpius' smaller ones. For once he didn't make an attempt to remove the hands.

"Well, I think it's time for bed for you two," Severus announced and strode forward.

"But I want to see daddy." Scorpius pouted.

Severus shook his head. "Your daddy is sleeping now. You can see him in the morning. If you go to sleep now, morning will come soon and you want to see your daddy soon, don't you?" he added when Scorpius opened his mouth to protest.

Scorpius pouted harder, but nodded. He kissed Draco's cheek and tugged at Teddy's hand. "Come on, Teddy, you can sleep with me in my bed. That will keep the nightmares away," he chirped and without waiting for the boy's answer, he started to drag him away. "Good night, papa, Uncle Sev."

"Good night, Scorpius, Teddy," Draco smiled weakly.

Teddy was emotionally too tired to kick up a fuss and just accepted the little boy's invitation. He was just glad to rest again.

"Well, it seems that Potter managed to make a mess again," Severus observed quietly and sat down on the chair across from Draco.

Draco sighed and raked his hands through his hair, thoroughly messing it up further. "I told him to stay inside, but of course he didn't listen. Why would he? He's Harry bloody Potter," he murmured darkly and tugged at some strands.

"You knew what you would get yourself into when you decided to pursue him," Severus pointed out and crossed his legs.

"Yes, I did, but I was under the impression that Harry wouldn't have been stupid enough to risk both his life and that of the baby when he knew he couldn't take on Creevey with his weakened magic," Draco replied bitterly.

"Wait, Creevey? Dennis Creevey?" Severus asked sharply and his body tensed. "Are you sure it was him?"

"What was left of him, anyway," Draco answered. "It looked as if some kind of animal got to him. Not that I complain – I wished I just would have gotten there sooner so that I could teach that asshole what happens when you mess with a Malfoy's family member."

"I can't believe it was that stupid little boy," Severus murmured shocked. "What were his reasons? If I remember correctly – and my memory never fails – he was smitten with Potter in his school years. Together with that camera maniac of his brother."

"I don't know what made him snap. He was unconscious when I got there, Harry was unconscious too and the Aurors took him away. I expect they will contact us later," Draco sighed.

"Are you going to talk with Potter about his suicidal decision?" Severus studied his face, his black eyes sharp.

"Of course." Draco frowned and started tapping his fingers against his leg. "He doesn't get away with this easily. He brought himself to the verge of death. He'll be lucky if I let him go out now," he added darkly.

"Well, I'm glad that at least one of you two has common sense," Severus sneered and stood up. "I think it will be prudent to retire now. No doubt the conversation you're going to have with Potter tomorrow will drain you, so it is best to rest now."

"I guess you're right," Draco groaned and stood up, stretching. "Are you going to stay the night here, or go back to your place?"

"I'll stay the night here, in case Miss Lovegood needs potions," Severus replied neutrally and walked out of the room, up the stairs to the room especially reserved for him for the rare nights he stayed over.

Draco rolled his shoulders to get an irritating knot out of it and extinguished the fire, closing the big door behind him. His shoes made a light tapping sound on the marble staircase and an house elf hastily lit the candles on the hallway where his room was to make sure he didn't stumble in the dark.

He had decided earlier on that he would spend the night in one of the many guest rooms in case Lovegood needed to tend to Harry and he didn't want to be in her way. Still, he knocked on the closed door and opened it, seeing Lovegood sitting on the windowsill, looking out at the sky with childish wonder on her face. She turned to face him when she heard the door opening.

"Draco, it's a beautiful night, isn't it?" she smiled and pointed at the bright stars and the half full moon.

"I guess." Draco shrugged and looked over at Harry, who was now lying half on his side, one of his arms hugging his stomach. "Will he be all right?" he asked worriedly.

"Of course he'll be. He and your baby have strong spirits," Lovegood replied confidently.

"If you say so," Draco murmured hesitatingly.

"Go and get some rest, Draco. You will need it for tomorrow," she murmured and turned back to face the sky.

Draco nodded and with one last longing look at Harry, he closed the door softly behind him and made his way to Scorpius' room where he found his son and Teddy curled up against each other in the bed. He smiled when he saw that Scorpius had kept clinging to Teddy's hand while crushing one of his stuffed dolls to his chest. Their pets Dagda and Ivory were sleeping at their feet and Draco grimaced when Ivory opened his shining eyes and stared at him before going back to sleep. Dagda just purred weakly for a moment before falling silent again.

Feeling reassured that Teddy didn't seem to have a nightmare, he walked up another staircase and grabbed the first doorknob he found and slipped into the dark room, falling into the bed that was situated right next to the door. How convenient.

He had enough strength left to switch his clothes with some pyjamas and fell into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

_21st of July_

Harry groaned when light started to shine on his face and he threw his arm on his eyes to protect them against the spearing light. Why hadn't he closed the curtains entirely last night?

He blinked and frowned. What did he do last night? He abruptly threw his arm down and stared at the ceiling horrified when memories of the night before flashed through his mind and made him relive every moment. Dennis Creevey. Dennis was the killer, Dennis was his kidnapper, had injected the potion in him and had tried to kill both him and Teddy. And all because he thought he had to get revenge.

Harry breathed out slowly, focusing on staying calm. Obviously Dennis hadn't succeeded in killing him, because he was still alive and he remembered Teddy shouting his name when he fainted. He had fainted. Because of the sharp pain in his stomach.

His hands flew to his stomach in panic and he gasped, trying to feel his baby move. The baby couldn't have died, right? The baby had survived – he had to. He would never forgive himself if he had lost the baby this late in his pregnancy.

He sat up and his hands travelled over his big stomach, his panic rising with every second that passed without any movement of his baby.

"No, this can't be happening," he murmured and pressed down on his side, almost crying in relief when a faint kick greeted him. The baby was still alive. He hadn't had a miscarriage.

"You shouldn't panic too much, Harry. That isn't good for you," a light voice scolded him and he whipped his head around to face a staring Luna.

"Luna? What are you doing here?" he asked shocked, sitting straight up against the pillows.

Luna walked over to him and raised her wand above his belly, casting charms on it to check the baby's vitals. "Your spirit came to warn me yesterday that you needed help. You lost a lot of blood and your magic was having trouble with keeping you both alive, so I assisted you with giving you some of my magic," she explained, nodding satisfied when the spells came back positive.

"The baby is okay?" Harry asked worriedly, his hands flying back to his stomach.

She nodded. "Yes, he's healthy. Your body had already gone into labour from all the stress you had to endure, but I managed to stop the bleeding and stop the labour pains. However, you are put on bed rest until the baby is born."

"Bed rest? For two months?" Harry repeated weakly.

"Yes, I can't have you overexerting yourself. I won't be able to help you if you go into labour again too soon," Luna replied seriously.

"Guess I shouldn't have expected anything else," Harry murmured and gazed at his stomach in sorrow. "Please tell me that Teddy is okay. How is he? He isn't too hurt, is he?" he asked fearfully, flinching when he remembered Teddy's shrieks of pain.

"He's all right. Draco fixed him up. He has some cracked ribs and a sprained ankle, but nothing that some potions and rest won't cure. The boys are still sleeping now, but they will be up later to greet you," Luna said gently. "They are very worried about you." She walked over to her bag and hosted it up on her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked surprised, but was too happy to hear that his godson wouldn't suffer any consequences of that terrible afternoon. It was bad enough he had gone through it – he didn't need any reminders of that fight.

"I'm going to check upon you weekly, but for now, you need to talk with Draco." Luna pointed to the closed door. "He's waiting outside, so that he can talk to you. Rest well, Harry; I'll see you in a week."

"Bye, Luna. Thanks for helping me," Harry smiled weakly.

"My pleasure." She beamed and skipped out of the room.

Harry swallowed and bowed his head when Draco entered the room. The door closed and a heavy silence descended on them, making Harry feel like he would suffocate any moment.

Eventually he couldn't take the accusatory glare of Draco anymore and he murmured, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You're sorry?" Draco repeated incredulously. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

"What do you want me to say?" Harry whispered, his hands clenching the sheets.

"How about 'I'm sorry, Draco, for being such a stubborn dick and bringing both my life and that of our baby in danger. It won't happen again'," Draco replied sarcastically and started to pace up and down like a caged lion.

Harry kept silent, not knowing how to respond, but understanding that he deserved everything Draco decided to throw at him. He had acted exceptionally stupid yesterday. It wouldn't surprise him if Draco decided he had enough of him. Harry swallowed with difficulty at that thought and his knuckles got white when he tightened his grip. He didn't want to leave Draco; not after knowing how it felt like to be really loved by someone, to be wanted and longed after like Draco did. But he had screwed up big time now.

"Do you know how terrified I've been all day yesterday?" Draco began in a low voice, venom slipping into it. "First I discover that you left this house, even though I explicitly told you not to go anywhere near that asshole and when I finally find you, Creevey is half mauled, Teddy hysterical and all bruised and cut up and you unconscious in a pool of your own blood, at the point of losing our baby." He took a deep breath. "I can assure you that I've never been that scared in my whole life. I was afraid that Teddy had serious internal bleeding and that you would lose the baby or die too. Merlin, Harry, how could you have been so stupid? You knew you're weak from the pregnancy, you knew you couldn't possibly fight him on your own! What made you think it was such a great idea to leave?" he snapped and finally stood still to stare at Harry.

"I – I didn't want to lose Teddy," Harry whispered and looked up, trying to hold back tears. "I know it was wrong of me to leave this house and I know I've been incredibly stupid. I – I just … I just wanted to make sure that I didn't lose Teddy. I don't want to lose him, Draco. He is my first real family. He is one of the few who didn't betray me or want me because of my money. He loves me like he would love his real dad and I love him like my own son. I just couldn't bear the thought that I would lose him." He took a shuddering breath. "I would have gladly trade my life if it meant him being safe."

Draco sank down on the bed, but made sure not to touch Harry. "Don't think for one moment that I don't know how much you care for him. I care for him too – hell, I love him like my own son! And I would have wanted nothing else but to search for him and show that murdering son of a bitch what happened when you messed with a Malfoy. But I didn't, because I knew it wouldn't do any good. Did you know that it was only because of the tracking charm I placed on you a month ago that we managed to find you? I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't that charm on you." He shivered and turned his head to stare out of the window. "I love you, Harry, more than I ever thought was possible, but you crossed the line here. The least you could have done, was respect my order to stay inside."

Harry nodded remorsefully and stared at the blue sheets. Did this mean what he thought it meant? "Do you want me to leave?" he asked, choking back a sob.

Draco stared at him. "What?"

"I will leave if you want. I understand that you won't want me after what happened… I'm sure we can work something out with regards to the baby. I wouldn't cut you out of his life, of course," Harry replied, biting on his lip hard.

"Are you really that stupid? Why in hell would I want you to leave?" Draco growled and grabbed his shoulders.

Harry stared at him confused, searching his face for a trace of a lie. Draco wanted him to leave, right? He didn't really want him to stay – not after all the trouble he caused him. "Why wouldn't you? I've done nothing but bring you trouble since we met again. I'll completely understand it if you don't want to see me after this again."

The harsh kiss took him by surprise and before Harry could respond properly, Draco had pulled back again to glare at him.

"Damn it, Potter, don't be so stupid! Of course I don't want you to leave! Haven't you listened to me? I love you, god damn it. I would be stupid to give you up."

"But …" Harry stared at him confused, his hands now lying limply on the sheets.

"Of course I'm disappointed with you at the moment and Merlin only knows how furious I am, but I still love you. That won't ever change. It's just …" Draco took a deep breath and looked right into troubled, emerald green eyes. "I just don't know whether I can trust you to stay here and be safe. I don't know if I can take it again if you decide to go on a hero trip again. I don't want to lose you, Harry. I almost have no family left and I'll be damned if I lost one of the few I still have."

"I'm really sorry, Draco," Harry whispered through choked sobs.

"I know you are. But at this moment, after what happened yesterday, I don't know if I can still trust you," Draco replied sadly and removed his hands from Harry's shoulders.

"I really fucked up now, didn't I?" Harry murmured and a few teardrops fell on the silk sheets.

"We all fuck up, Potter; the only difference is that there are serious consequences when _you_ fuck up," Draco sighed and brought his hand to Harry's face to remove the tears.

"I love you, Draco." Harry stared at him, gripping the hand against his face and holding it between his.

"And I love you too," Draco whispered. "We just have to work on the trust issue and we'll be all right again. I won't let you go, Harry. You and Teddy are my family now." He brought his hand on top of Harry's bulging stomach, caressing it lovingly. "And this baby will soon belong to our family too. Merlin, he's going to have a weird family."

Harry laughed through his tears and clasped a free hand around Draco's neck bringing him closer to push his lips against his softly, kissing him, trying to confine all his love and longing in that one kiss. Draco shifted until he lied between Harry's spread legs, careful to keep his weight of Harry's stomach, kissing him back passionately.

At that moment neither didn't care that they would need time to rebuild the trust between them again or that they still had to face Creevey. They were together again and they wouldn't let go of each other for as long as they could.

At that moment the air was filled with promises of a loving future together with all three of their sons.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: well, the birth will finally happen here (and because of a poll that was once posted on my profile on the other site, the birth will be a natural one, as decided by the majority of the voters - however it won't be explicit and not long at all, so you can easily skip over it if you don't want to read that), a bit of angst, fluff
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 44**

_22nd of July: seven months pregnant_

"Can we interrogate him?" Thomas asked the Healer responsible for Creevey.

The man's tag on his chest read Richard Newstone and he was probably around his fifties, his dark brown hair starting to grey. He had soft brown eyes and wrinkles around his eyes; he was tall with broad shoulders and looked stern enough that nobody dared to question his decisions.

Richard frowned and looked up from his clipboard. "I'd rather you wait a while more. He's still recovering from his severe wounds. It still amazes me that he managed to survive those bites."

"Is he conscious?" Thomas pressed on stubbornly. He had worked together with Harry before and to know that the killer had been after Harry's godson and then managed to make him go into early labour was enough to make him pissed off. For all he cared, Creevey was on the verge of dying – as long as he got his confession he was happy. But he would be very satisfied to drag the sorry bastard to the court room and hear his punishment. He couldn't decide which punishment would be more gratifying: the Kiss or lifelong imprisonment with Dementors as his guards.

"Well yes, he woke up just an hour ago," Richard replied warily and frowned.

"Can he talk?"

"I suppose so, but he's still in pain."

"Mister Newstone, this is the man who poisoned women, men and children and killed some of them. He kidnapped the godson of Harry Potter and currently Potter is fighting for his life and that of the baby. All because of that asshole in there." Thomas nodded towards the closed door behind which Creevey was placed. "Do you really think I care one bit if that fucker is in pain? I need his confession and if he's well enough to talk, he can give me that. Afterwards I'm leaving with the confession and when his wounds are healed enough, he will be transferred to Azkaban to wait for his trial to start."

Richard opened his mouth, presumably to protest again, but Thomas cut him off.

"Listen we can argue here for a while longer and I could leave to get the permission of the Minister himself, but rest assured I will get that permission."

Richard glared at him. "Fine, you can talk to him. Be sure not to send him in cardiac arrest."

"Because that would be such a shame," Thomas muttered sarcastically, but nodded towards his partner Elisabeth who walked down the hallway after having talked to one of the Aurors stationed at the corner to avoid someone helping Creevey escape.

"Do we have permission?" she asked surprised. She had thought they wouldn't manage to talk to Creevey for another week due to the severity of his wounds.

"Yes, so let's go," Thomas said, feeling antsy and quickly entered the sterile hospital room without knocking.

Creevey looked up when the door opened and he stiffened when he recognized the Auror robes. He was all bandaged up. The Healers hadn't been able to rescue his hand, so there was just a bandage wrapped around the stomp of his arm. His other arm where the wolf had taken a bite out of it was heavily wrapped in gauze, but the Healers had told him that they were confident they would be able to restore his skin.

His head was also bandaged up from the nasty encounter he had had with the sharp rock. All in all, he had had better days.

"So, Mister Creevey, I'm sure you know why we are here," Thomas began and Elisabeth locked the door and casted a silencing spell on it to avoid other people listening in.

"You need my confession, right?" Dennis smirked, his eyes still possessing that insane glint.

"Glad you are smart enough to realize that," Thomas said coldly. He conjured up a quill and parchment and casted another spell on both the items that would record anything said in the room. He casted another spell on Dennis this time that would allow him to only tell the truth. "Start talking. First off, are you really Dennis Creevey?"

"Yes," Dennis replied.

"Why did you poison all those people?"

"Because I wanted to get revenge on Potter."

Elisabeth frowned. "Did those people have a connection with Mister Potter?"

Dennis looked amused. "No, of course not. I knew his hero complex would let him pursue the case until he caught the attacker and I needed to get his attention."

"Why did you want his attention?"

"He is the reason my brother decided to fight in the last fight too," Dennis spoke icily, his eyes gaining a malicious look. "My brother practically worshipped the ground he walked on and he thought that fighting in the war would gain him Potter's approval and appreciation. He wanted to be entrusted with Potter's friendship." He snorted harshly. "And look where Potter got him in. He died in that fight and while Potter had time enough to visit the graves of that werewolf teacher we had once and his stupid wife and hundreds of other graves, he didn't have the time to visit my grief stricken parents nor time to visit Colin's grave. My mum killed herself, because she couldn't take the loss of her son. Potter is the reason why my brother and my mum are dead now," he hissed, clenching his remaining hand, ignoring the burning sensation that shot up his arm due to the movement. "I thought it was only fair if I took his family away as well."

"Is that why you kidnapped his godson?" Thomas asked sharply, disgust clearly showing through on his face.

Dennis laughed harshly. "It wasn't that difficult. The brat was depressed, thinking that his daddy didn't love him anymore," he sneered. "It was pathetically easy to win that boy's trust. He made perfect bait for Potter, because I knew he wouldn't let others rescue his godson while he could do it himself."

"Were you aware that he was pregnant?"

"Of course I was aware." Dennis sounded cheerful. "I'm the one who injected the potion in him so that he could get pregnant."

It was silent for a minute after that particular confession.

"You injected the potion in him?" Elisabeth asked shocked. "Why?"

"Why? Isn't that obvious? Everyone knows Potter values family above anything else. When he got together with Malfoy – who is equally fiercely protective of his family – it was like I had won the jackpot. Making Potter lose the baby would be the most tragic event they would experience and coupled with the death of his godson would make Potter mad. Malfoy would leave him when he lost his baby due to his own fault and Potter would be so depressed he would have killed himself," Dennis smiled and the Aurors could do nothing but conclude that this man was crazy. "I wouldn't have to do anything else than kill his children and he would do the rest on his own. It's a pity I couldn't get a hold of the Malfoy brat – it would have been so much fun to kill that stupid brat too."

"You sick bastard," Elisabeth whispered, clasping a hand in front of her mouth, looking at the man in the bed horrified.

Dennis cocked his head. "Why?" he grinned maliciously. "Tell me something? Did Potter lose that baby? Was he screaming?" He laughed at that thought.

"You're one sick fucker," Thomas whispered and stopped the quill from writing. It was all he could do to hold himself back from cursing that asshole to hell and back. But he knew that if he attacked him, they would use that against him and the fucker would get out with a lighter punishment. That was something he wouldn't give to the bastard. "Come on, Elisabeth, we have the confession now; it's time to finish the case."

The woman nodded, still looking pale and hurried out of the room.

"Oh." Thomas paused at the door and looked at Dennis who looked at him expectantly. "You failed in your mission. Potter is still alive and the baby too. You didn't win anything."

He left with a satisfied smirk when Dennis screamed out in rage.

* * *

When Harry woke up the next morning, he found himself curled up against another warm body who was embracing him in his sleep. He smiled and stretched out his hand to stroke the white blond hair out of Draco's face, making his lover scrunch up his nose in his sleep.

He was itching to see his sons again. He had wanted to see them yesterday, but Draco had convinced him to wait a bit longer so that he could rest a bit more. Teddy needed his rest as well. Harry had agreed albeit reluctantly, but now he wanted nothing more than to hold his sons in his arms. He wanted the reassurance that they were both okay.

"What are you thinking about?" A sleepy voice called him back from his thoughts and he turned his face to look at Draco, who stared at him with half lidded eyes.

"Good morning," he whispered and gave him a quick kiss on his pale lips.

Draco smiled sleepily. "Good morning to you too," he murmured and sat up, arching his back. "Now what were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking that I want to see my sons; I miss them," Harry confessed and sat up with difficulty due to his big stomach. He petted his stomach when he felt his son kicking in protest.

"Well, I guess I can let them see you," Draco mused, placing his hand on Harry's stomach and caressing it absentmindedly. "Scorpius has been anxious to see you and I know that Teddy is out of his mind with worry."

"So why wait longer? Bring them here, I want to see them," Harry sighed and ruffled his hair, taking his glasses of the nightstand.

"Yes, be patient, will you? I'll get them, but you start on your breakfast already," Draco ordered and not sooner had those words left his mouth before a tray filled with a glass of orange juice, a plate with scrambled eggs and bacon and a bowl with yoghurt had appeared on the nightstand.

Harry rolled his eyes, but accepted the tray, knowing Draco wouldn't let him see the boys without breakfast in his stomach. He already missed walking downstairs.

* * *

Draco walked towards Teddy's room first, because he was the closest to their room. He knocked softly on it and entered it, noticing how the lump on Teddy's bed moved before a small head popped out of the blankets, his brown hair all ruffled up in his sleep.

"Draco?" Teddy yawned and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's eight thirty," Draco replied and sat on the bed. "Your dad woke up now and wants to see you," he smiled.

Teddy froze. "Oh, eh, that's great, but …"

"But what?" Draco frowned, not understanding Teddy's hesitance.

"I'm not feeling too well," the boy whispered, clutching his stomach.

"Do you have stomach pain?" Draco asked concerned.

Teddy nodded.

"I'm going to give you a potion and you rest here more, all right? When you're feeling well again, you can go to Harry. He misses you," Draco smiled faintly and stood up to retrieve the Stomach ache potion.

Teddy breathed out slowly and shuffled back underneath the sheets. He felt bad for lying, but he couldn't face his dad right now. He still had to find a way to say how sorry he was for hurting him and he was afraid he would screw it up by saying the wrong things. He just needed a bit more time.

After Draco had given Teddy the potion and left him to rest more, he walked further to Scorpius' room. When he entered, he smiled upon seeing his son still fast asleep, curled up in the middle of the bed while the sheets were lying on the floor, kicked off the bed during the course of the night.

He sank down on the bed and stuck out his hand to caress the silky, blond hair his son had inherited from him. "Scorpius, it's time to wake up, son," he said softly and had to repeat himself a few times more before Scorpius groaned and his eyes opened, revealing dazed, grey eyes.

"Papa?" Scorpius murmured and rubbed his face with his small hands.

"Good morning, Scorpius."

"Good morning, papa," Scorpius yawned and shifted a bit so that he could lie his head on his papa's lap, enjoying the caressing his head received.

"Daddy woke up just now and wants to see you," Papa told him with a warm smile and that was all he had to say before the little blond shot out of bed and ran out the room, full speed towards his parents' bedroom.

Draco stood up and shook his head in wonder. He never knew his son could be that quick. He chuckled and made his way downstairs, so that he could get his own breakfast and tell the house elves to send the breakfast of the boys upstairs.

* * *

Harry was startled when his door flew open with a loud bang and he just had time enough to shove the empty tray back on the nightstand before a blond blur attached himself to his side, two small arms coming up to hug him tightly.

"Daddy! I missed you!" Scorpius cried out and reached up to give his daddy a kiss on his cheek.

"I missed you too, sweetie," Harry smiled weakly and brought the blond boy closer to him, relishing in the warmth the boy gave off.

"I wanted to see you quicker, but papa told me you and the baby had to rest because my little brother was almost gone," Scorpius began to babble, sitting up. "But then he said that you and little brother will be fine. Is that true, daddy? Are you and little brother okay?"

"Yes, we're okay, sweetheart," Harry smiled reassuringly and stroked the blond hair back. "Your little brother is still staying for two months in my belly."

Scorpius pouted a bit. "I want to see him."

"Well, you have to wait a bit longer for that to happen," Harry laughed.

"Can I say good morning to little brother, daddy?" Scorpius asked shyly and looked up hopefully, his small hands already placed on Harry's stomach.

"Of course you can. I'm sure your little brother will be happy with that," Harry replied, smiling warmly and the next thing he knew, Scorpius had bunched up his shirt so that he could place his mouth against Harry's belly to talk, his little hands placed on either side of his head, not wanting to miss any kick his brother would give.

"Ah, he's talking to his brother?" Draco's amused voice made Harry look up and he smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, he wanted to say good morning to the baby," he replied softly, but then frowned. "Where is Teddy exactly? I thought you went to get them both."

"I did, but he's not feeling well. He has stomach pain. I told him to rest a bit more," Draco answered, sitting back down on the bed.

"I hope he'll be fine soon," Harry said worriedly, placing his hand on the side of his belly.

"I'm sure he will be," Draco replied soothingly, but then looked up when the doorbell sounded. "I'm going to look who that is."

When Draco reached the bottom of the staircase, he was surprised to see two Aurors standing in the middle of his hallway, the ones who had helped him two days ago. He could only remember one name of an Auror and that was the red haired man called Will. The other one was the silver haired witch who had been quiet for most of the time.

"What can I do for you?" Draco asked warily.

"We hate to interrupt, but is it possible for Mister Potter to tell us what happened two days ago?" Will asked calmly. "We already have the confession of Creevey; we just need his version and then we will be able to make up a trial against Creevey."

"He's still resting, but I suppose you can talk to him." Draco frowned, but led the way to their bedroom.

"Scorpius, these two Aurors need to talk to daddy for a moment. Can you be a good boy and wait outside?" Draco asked his son who looked up with a frown. "Go take your shower. When you're done, you can come back here."

At that promise, Scorpius beamed and after kissing Harry's stomach, he skipped out of the room towards the bathroom.

The woman entered the room first, followed by Will, but Draco was stopped by the red haired Auror.

"Sorry, but you can't listen in now," Will apologized.

"Why the hell not?" Draco frowned, his voice stating his annoyance.

"Are you married to him?"

"No."

"Then I'm sorry, but unless you're a relative or his spouse, you can't be in the room during the questioning. It's protocol," Will smiled apologetically and closed the door in front of Draco who stood there fuming.

"Protocol, my arse," he growled. "What kind of bullshit is that?"

If only he had already been married to Harry, he could have been in there to support his pregnant lover. He halted at that thought. The only reason he wasn't in there now was because they weren't married yet. Draco wanted to wait with marriage until the baby was born so that Harry wouldn't be too stressed out, but there was nothing that said he couldn't plan the formal wedding before the birth of their son. The formal part wouldn't last too long and would legally bind them together which would destroy the obstacles they would have gone up against if they had went to the trial without a binding ritual. Knowing the protocol, they would probably forbid him from entering the court room too when it was time for Creevey to get his trial; all because of one ritual.

Grey eyes gained a glint and Draco rushed off to his office. Harry's birthday was coming up soon and he knew the perfect birthday gift. He just had to send a few quick owls to set everything up.

* * *

_24th of July_

It had been four days since Teddy had last seen his dad and he still hadn't gained the courage to face his dad. He knew he had to face him soon before his dad thought he was mad, but he still had no clue as to how he could apologize properly.

He had managed to evade the visit by complaining that he was tired and not feeling so well, and so far Draco seemed to buy it which made feel Teddy guilty for lying.

During the four days apart and resting in his bed, Teddy had had enough time to think about the baby. After being reassured by Draco that his dad would never stop loving him, he had started to think about the baby. It wouldn't be too long anymore before his dad had to give birth and he realized it would be stupid to hold a grudge against a new born baby. It wasn't the baby's fault that he was insecure. It had been wrong of him to hate the baby, he understood that. He had tried to imagine his future brother and he had wondered if he could ever be the big brother to the baby like Scorpius seemed already to be. He wanted to … Yes, what did he want? To make his dad proud for one. To make the baby feel proud to be his brother? Was that it? Did he want to be a big brother to the baby?

Teddy pursed his lips and breathed out loudly. Making a decision, he slid out of bed and tiptoed out of his room. It was three p.m. and he knew that this was the moment when his dad took a nap and Draco and Scorpius were downstairs in the garden.

This was the perfect time to do what he wanted.

He softly padded into the darkened room where his dad was fast asleep, lying on his back with one hand placed protectively on the top of his rounded stomach.

Teddy swallowed and the sound seemed loud in the otherwise silent room. He carefully went over to the bed and crawled on top of it, holding his breath when his dad mumbled something underneath his breath before falling quiet again.

Teddy took a deep breath and after staring at his dad's stomach with uncertainty etched on his face, he reached out his hand slowly and put it lightly on the big stomach, touching it for the first time since dad got pregnant.

For a while he felt nothing, until a tiny push against his hand reminded him that there was a real baby living inside his dad, growing and waiting for a chance to be born.

After a moment of hesitating, Teddy opened his mouth. "I don't know how Scorpius does this, this talking to you while he can't even see you, but I give it a try. I'm your big brother Teddy." He paused for a bit before continuing, "I wasn't happy at first with you, because you were taking my dad away, but I guess that's stupid right?" he laughed weakly. "So I decided to give you a chance. I don't know how to be a big brother, but I guess Scorpius will teach me." A kick was his reply. "I'm sorry that I was so mean to you. If I could, I would take my words back, but I can't." He hung his head down in shame. "So I'm still not as happy as Scorpius, but I think I can learn to be a big brother. I promise you I will do my best to be the best big brother you can have." He took a deep breath and after an awkward moment, where his dad continued sleeping obliviously, he retracted his hand. "So yeah, I'll try to be a better brother from now on." He turned to face his dad and bit his lip. "I'm sorry for hurting you, dad, I didn't mean to." He kissed his dad's cheek before slipping off the bed and leaving silently again. He closed the door behind him and when he turned around, he jumped three feet in the air in shock when he saw Uncle Sev leaning against the opposite wall.

"Uncle Sev!" Teddy exclaimed startled.

"Hush, child, before you wake up your dad," Sev admonished him, but didn't seem too angry. "Wouldn't it be better if you apologized when your dad is awake?"

Teddy lowered his head. "I don't know if dad will accept my apology," he whispered.

Sev snorted. "Do you really think he won't forgive you, you daft boy? He loves you; he's waiting for you every day to come and see him. You have nothing to worry about."

"You think so?" Teddy asked meekly.

Sev looked at him with a weird look on his face. "I know so. So why don't you wait for your dad to wake up so that you can apologize properly?"

Teddy nodded and smiled weakly.

Sev nodded. "Good, normally he should wake up in an hour so you can speak with him then."

* * *

Harry blinked groggily when he woke up and yawned.

"Dad?" A meek voice alerted him to another presence in the room and he shot up in bed, pleasantly surprised to see Teddy standing next to him.

"Teddy! I'm so glad to see you! I missed you!" Harry exclaimed and pulled the boy on the bed, wrapping his arms around him. "How are you feeling? Are you okay? I'm so sorry you got hurt," he whispered and suppressed the tears that threatened to overflow.

"I'm okay, dad," Teddy whispered and pulled back a little. He swallowed and continued, "I'm so sorry for hurting you, dad, I didn't mean all those things I said!" His voice was slightly panicky.

"I know you didn't mean those things, sweetie. We were all worked up that day," Dad said soothingly to his immense surprise and he felt his dad caressing his hair. "I'm just glad you're okay and with me again. I don't ever want to lose you."

"But it was my fault that you almost lost the baby," Teddy said confused. His dad wasn't angry with him?

"It wasn't your fault, Teddy. It was that bad man's fault, but not yours," Dad said firmly, then his eyes softened. "Can you tell me why you thought I wouldn't love you anymore?"

"Because I'm not your real family," Teddy whispered.

"Teddy, that's not true," Harry began, but was cut off by the boy.

"It's just that… that baby will be really your son because it shares your blood." Teddy's lower lip quivered. "When someone looks at him, he will see that the baby is your son, because he will look like you. I don't look like you unless I change my appearance. I'm afraid that you will like the baby more than me, because we don't share blood. I didn't come from your stomach." Teardrops were rolling down his pale cheeks and his shoulders trembled with his sobs.

He was engulfed in a warm, strong embrace.

"Teddy, listen to me carefully. You do share my blood," Harry began and placed a finger on Teddy's mouth to shut him up when he wanted to protest. "Listen to me: your mother was a cousin of my godfather Sirius Black which makes her part Black, because her mother is a Black. The Blacks were family of the Potters, because there have been marriages between them so you do share my blood. And you also share blood with Draco, because he is part Malfoy, part Black which makes him your family. So you see, sweetie, you do share my blood. You don't have to come out of my stomach to be my son. You were my son from the moment you were born."

A smile as blinding as the sun broke out on Teddy's tear streaked face and he hugged his dad tightly, repeating the word 'family' over and over again. He had a real family, he really did belong here.

* * *

Two hours later, Draco was met with a teary scene when he entered his and Harry's bedroom and saw Teddy curled up against his dad, his hand placed lightly on top of Harry's stomach.

"I love you, Teddy and nothing will change that," Harry swore and kissed the top of Teddy's head.

"I love you too, dad," Teddy replied shyly and snuggled closer to him. He looked down at Harry's stomach and decided that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to be a big brother.

* * *

_31st of July_

On the day of Harry's birthday, he was greeted by his lover and his two sons with a huge chocolate birthday cake and colourful drawings of Scorpius. Teddy had given him a teddy bear with a sun between his paws and he had explained softly that it was a present for the baby as well which made Harry hug him tightly with teary, green eyes. He was so relieved that he had been able to mend the broken relationship between him and Teddy and was ecstatic when Teddy had felt his stomach for the first time to feel the baby kick. He knew Teddy would make a perfect big brother for the baby.

Andromeda had given him a box with his favourite candy, but with the warning to not eat it all at once.

Harry was surprised to find a birthday gift from Snape as well. It was small and in a box and when he opened it, he was met with a soft green broche in the form of a lily.

The note with it was simple.

_Potter_

_This was the broche that once belonged to your mother. She wore it on her wedding day and I decided it was time that it was passed on to you for your own wedding day._

_Break it and there will be hell to pay._

_Sincerely_

_Severus Snape_

Harry smiled weakly, stroking the smooth cool surface of one of the pale flower petals.

"Thanks," he whispered and put it away carefully.

"Well, my present will be arriving … now," Draco grinned and went downstairs.

Harry frowned and looked at the boys who shrugged at him.

When Draco came back, he had McGonagall following him, dressed in dark green robes with a white rope tied around her waist.

"Madam?" Harry asked astonished. "What are you doing here?"

"Young man, aren't you aware that today you will be bound legally to mister Malfoy?" Minerva asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

"Legally bound?" Harry's eyes shot to a grinning Draco. "Draco, what's going on?"

"Well, we can't have the actual wedding yet, because we have to wait until the baby is born to avoid additional stress, but there was nothing that said we couldn't have completed the formal ritual before the birth." Grey eyes softened and a tender smile graced his lips. "So I asked the Headmistress if she wanted to bind us together today and she agreed."

"Draco…" Harry gasped.

"I took the liberty of purchasing our rings," Draco smiled. He nodded to Scorpius who was holding them in his hands with a big smile on his face. "Scorpius will be our ring bearer today, because he wanted that to be."

"Well, come on, now, we haven't all day," Minerva smiled and drew a circle on the ground with chalk, ushering the other occupants to enter the circle before closing it. Draco had quickly exchanged Harry's sweatpants and shirt for a white, long robe, the same he was wearing.

"You really couldn't wait, could you?" Harry scolded him, but smiled excitedly, his green eyes shining with happiness.

"Why would I wait longer for a chance to call you Mister Malfoy-Potter?" Draco retorted back smiling. "After this you are mine and no one will ever take you away from me."

"I like how possessive you sound," Harry whispered in his ear, but drew back with a blush when Minerva raised an eyebrow at him.

The ritual lasted an hour. At one point, Teddy had to bind a white, thin rope around Harry's and Draco's wrists, binding their two hands together while a red, thin rope was bound loosely around their ankles.

Scorpius reached out to slip a ring on each hand and clapped his hands softly when a bright yellow light surrounded their linked hands, signalizing the beginning of the binding.

"By the powers of magic, I declare you now husband and husband," Minerva smiled and tapped her wand seven times on their linked hands before the ropes fell off. "You may kiss now."

Draco immediately grabbed Harry's chin and pulled it up to him, kissing him hungrily, almost devouring him. He felt the magic humming around them, surrounding them, and binding them together fully. The rings heated up for a second before cooling off, leaving a comfortable warmth behind.

"Come on, boys, we have to give them some time," Minerva smiled and ushered Teddy and Scorpius out of the room but not before Teddy managed to reach out to Harry and squeeze his hand with a whispered "I'm happy for you, dad.".

That afternoon they made sweet, slow love, relishing in the fact that they were now bound together officially and no one would be able to tear them apart. Draco belonged to Harry and Harry belonged to him – it was as simple as that.

* * *

After the bonding, the weeks flew by and Harry's stomach grew bigger and bigger until it became almost a mission impossible to get to the toilet on time.

Since that one afternoon, Teddy had spent most of his time with his dad, laughing and talking and chattering about the baby. When Harry had reached his eight month, he had borrowed a book from Daphne with baby names, because he still hadn't a clue as to how to name his son.

To his surprise, Teddy had been enthusiastic at the prospect of choosing a name and Harry had searched together with the young boy for a suitable name for the baby.

Luna came by to check the baby's process every week and left always happy.

* * *

_12th of October_

When October reached the country again, it came with a cold, harsh wind and lots of rain. Snape had resumed his lessons with the boys since September and the boys were learning more and more about magic now, making them very excited.

Draco was busy with his work, trying to deal with possible complaints and signing contracts with companies that looked promising and would bring the Malfoy name higher in the ranks. When he wasn't busy with his work, he was busy pampering Harry, whose patience was wearing thin due to the fact that his huge stomach made him uncomfortable. All he wanted was the baby to be born so that he could hold him. He couldn't wait to finally meet the baby that he had carried nine months in his body.

On Saturday, the twelfth of October, Harry had just flushed the toilet when he suddenly froze, feeling warm liquid streaming down his legs. He had been getting cramps all day, ranging from bearable but annoying to full out burning pain that had made his teeth grind together. He had gotten these cramps before and Luna had explained then that his body was practicing for the moment that he went into labour. Due to the fact that he was a man, the birth would go quicker once his water broke, because his anal canal would be formed temporarily in a birth canal, allowing a natural birth.

And now it had begun. His water had broken. He took a deep breath and walked back to his bed, reclining against the pillows. Draco was still busy in his office and Scorpius was taking a bath. Luna was not scheduled to come in today and he had no clue where Teddy was. That left him with asking a house elf to bring Draco to him then, with Luna.

Just when he opened his mouth to call a house elf, a hot blinding pain shot up his back and he was barely able to muffle his scream. He clutched his stomach and bit on his lower lip to stop another scream when he felt his insides being pushed around and he could feel his body changing to accommodate the baby. It was indeed going fast.

"Potter, what the hell is going on here?"

His head shot up and he had never been as glad as he was now to see Snape standing in the doorway, his black eyes piercing in his own.

"I thought I heard a scream," Snape continued.

"Ah, ah, that was me," Harry panted and sat up a bit. "My water just broke," he smiled weakly.

Snape stared at him wide eyed. "Your water just broke?" he asked faintly. Harry nodded, clutching the sheets when another contraction hit him like a wave. "All right, I'm going to alert Draco so that he can get Lovegood here to help you. In the meantime, try to breathe regularly when a contraction comes; it will help you," he advised him and left in a hurry.

Harry did what he was told and tried to steady his breathing when another contraction came up.

"You really are in a hurry to come out, aren't you," Harry smiled weakly and gasped at the hot pain shooting through his stomach.

Draco came rushing in, closely followed by a serene looking Luna who blinked at the sight of a heavy breathing, sweaty Harry.

Draco immediately sat down next to Harry, grabbing his hand and stroking back the sweaty, black hair. "I'm here, baby," he cooed and kissed his temple, wincing a bit when Harry squeezed with all the power he had during another contraction.

"Severus will stay with the boys until the baby is born," Draco murmured and rubbed Harry's back when the man clutched his stomach.

"Ah ah, that's good," Harry managed to get out before squeezing his eyes shut when another pain golf hit him. God, this was worse than the Cruciatus curse. It felt like he was being ripped in two.

"All right, Harry, I'll check your progress," Luna smiled and sat down at the end of the bed. "Please lie down and push your legs up," she instructed and waved her wand twice. A thin paper blanket covered Harry's raised legs and he felt his sweatpants being spelled away together with his underwear. If he wasn't in so much pain right now, he would have felt embarrassed to be so exposed to Luna.

"Ah, it won't be so long anymore." Luna beamed. "Just wait another ten minutes and then you can begin to push."

"Do you hear that, Harry?" Draco smiled. "You're nearly there. Just hold on a bit more."

"Hold on, hold on? What the fuck do you think I'm doing here? It's not like I have much of a choice is it?" Harry hissed. "God, you asshole! It's your fault I have so much pain now." He swore. "You can forget ever having sex again, you hear me? You can go use your hand in the future, because you're not going near my body ever again!"

"You don't mean that," Draco smiled.

"Just wait and see, Malfoy," Harry hissed.

"Just try to relax, it will help," Draco suggested and winced again when Harry squeezed his hand brutally.

"How the hell am I supposed to relax when a baby is trying to come out of my body?" Harry snarled. "You get knocked up and give birth and we'll see if you can relax then!"

"All right, Harry it's time to push," Luna said and looked at him with her bright blue eyes. "When I say push, push as hard as you can. When I say stop, you stop and get a bit of rest before we start again. Try to push along with the contraction. All right, start pushing."

Harry groaned and the muscles in his neck and lower back tensed up heavily when he started to push. He was squeezing Draco's hand harshly, but the blond didn't seem to mind, only encouraging to push harder.

"Stop," Luna said.

Harry fell back in the bed and breathed harshly. Sweat was rolling down his face mingled with some tears of pain. He wanted this to be over, the baby had to get out now. He didn't know how much longer he could take the intense pain.

"We're almost there, Harry. I can see his head," Luna smiled. "Start pushing again."

Harry pushed with everything he had in him and Luna was murmuring encouraging words at him.

"Yes, that's it, almost there. I have the shoulders already, give one big push."

The loud cry of a baby was the sweetest thing Harry had ever heard. His body went through one minor contraction to expel his womb and he fell back in the pillows, trying to regain his breath.

"Here is your beautiful healthy boy." Luna beamed and after cleaning the baby, she folded a blanket around him and handed him over to a teary eyed Draco.

There was wonder on Draco's face when he looked at his new born son. He had his pale translucent skin, but the black hair of Harry. The nose and chin were Harry's too. He didn't know the colour of the eyes yet, but Draco was certain that this was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen, except for his own sons.

"Let me see him," Harry said with a raspy voice and Draco handed the precious bundle to him, coming to sit next to him.

Harry smiled weakly. "He's so beautiful," he whispered and stroked the baby's cheek with his finger.

"That he is," Draco agreed and kissed Harry's forehead. "I'm so proud of you, baby. You did wonderful."

Harry smiled and kissed him back. "I love you."

"I love you too."

When Luna opened the door, two boys came running in, coming to a halt when they saw the bundle in their dad's arms.

"Is that our brother?" Scorpius asked in awe.

Draco pulled them both on the bed so that they could take a good look at their new brother.

"This is your brother," Harry smiled.

"He's so tiny," Scorpius whispered and carefully stroked the little tuft of black hair on the baby's head.

"Would you like to hold the baby, Teddy?" Harry asked and held out his new born son.

Teddy startled and carefully he stretched out his arms, letting his dad place the baby comfortably in his arms. Teddy stared at the baby, drinking in the chubby, red face of his new brother. Suddenly the baby opened his eyes and looked at him with blue grey eyes, which would probably turn grey in a few days.

"My little brother," Teddy whispered to himself and wondered at the feeling that was washing over him. The feeling that he wanted to protect this tiny being, that he wanted to make sure it was safe and happy. Was this how big brothers felt?

"And how are you going to name him?" Luna asked brightly, smiling mysteriously.

"Conall. Conall Malfoy-Potter," Teddy suddenly answered. "It means 'as strong as a wolf' in Celtic."

"Did you pick out that name?" Draco asked curiously.

Teddy nodded, still staring in the calm, blue grey eyes of his little brother.

"It fits him," Draco smiled.


	45. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: fluff, lemon
> 
> This is the last chapter of this story. There is a sequel planned to this one, but as of yet, I haven't had the time to properly work on it ^^; That said, I hope I'll be able to work more on it and post it soon
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> For the last time: enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter 45: Epilogue**

_13th of October_

Harry hummed while he slowly rocked back and forth in the wooden, white rocking chair, watching how Conall greedily drunk from his bottle with warm milk. His son was dressed in a light blue crawler with a laughing sun stitched on the front today.

It was seven in the morning and Conall had woken up ten minutes ago, demanding to have his milk. Draco had offered to feed his son, giving Harry the chance to rest more, but he had refused. He liked feeding his son and found it fascinating to watch how eager his baby was to drink his milk.

He still couldn't believe that this tiny, beautiful being came from his own body and he couldn't take his eyes off his son. It had been a rather eventful pregnancy, but in the end it had been worth it. Even his forced bed rest had been worth it to see his son here in his arms healthy and safe.

He smiled and placed the empty bottle on the nightstand, standing up and after having placed a towel on his shoulder, he settled his son against his shoulder and softly patted his back and was rewarded with the sound of a burp, feeling warm liquid soaking the towel.

"Good baby," he whispered and threw the filthy towel in the hamper placed next to the wardrobe. He began to rock Conall in his arms and watched how Conall's light grey eyes slowly fluttered close. Conall made a soft smacking sound with his plump lips and snuggled a bit closer to his daddy's chest before his breathing slowed, signalizing he had fallen asleep again.

Not ready to relinquish his son, Harry sat back down in the rocking chair, content to watch his youngest son sleep.

He looked up when the door suddenly opened and expecting to see Draco, he was therefore very surprised when Luna entered the room with a dreamy smile on her face as usual.

"Luna?" he whispered surprised. "What are you doing here? I thought you went home?"

Luna smiled and came forwards to him, kneeling down on the ground so she could look at Conall on his own height.

"He's a very beautiful boy," she whispered and she stroked his chubby cheek with her forefinger, keeping the touch light enough to not wake up the sleeping baby.

Harry smiled and looked down at his son. He looked up when he felt a slender hand covering his own.

Light blue eyes looked right into his own and Luna was watching him with a strange look on her face.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I need to talk to you about the pregnancy potion you took," Luna murmured.

He frowned. "What is there to talk about?"

"You know how most pregnancy potions expel the womb when the man gives birth?"

Harry got a bad feeling about this. "What do you mean 'most potions'? Are there ones that don't expel the womb?"

She nodded and directed her attention to his stomach, startling him when she placed her hand on his stomach which was still a bit rounded. He would have to work on that; now that he had his baby, he wanted his abs back too.

"Luna?" he asked warily and the bad feeling got a notch higher.

"When you gave birth yesterday, you only expelled the afterbirth," Luna answered. "The womb didn't follow."

"What?" Harry asked dazed and he tightened his grip on his baby unconsciously, only loosening it when Conall whined in protest.

"It's a bit too early to tell with certainty, but I suspect that the pregnancy potion was made from the oldest recipe in the book. They don't use that recipe nowadays, because the womb stays in the body and men don't want that particular organ to stay behind after the birth. So the Potions Masters developed new potions that would expel the womb immediately after the afterbirth." She looked at him with soft eyes, her hand still on his stomach. "I could be wrong of course, but if your body doesn't expel your womb in two days, then we can be sure that your womb stays."

"The womb stays?" Harry repeated with a high voice. The womb would stay in his body? No, that couldn't be. He had counted on the fact that the womb would disappear after the birth. After the first few months he had come to love the pregnancy and he loved the fact that he was able to carry his own child, but he was still a man. And men weren't supposed to have wombs in their bodies. Merlin, would he never be able to be normal?

"There is a high chance, yes," Luna said. "But don't worry, if you use protection charms, you won't get pregnant again. As long as you use protection, you can go on without fearing to get pregnant."

"But the womb stays?" Harry asked for confirmation.

"Probably." She nodded.

"Oh," was all he could bring out before he stared out the window. So he would need to use protection like a woman if he didn't want to end up pregnant again. That was just fucking great. As if he wasn't special enough with his status as war hero, now he had to worry about a possible future pregnancy as well. Fucking splendid.

"Harry? Ah, here you are." Draco's voice sounded cheery when he entered the room. "Lovegood, what are you doing here?"

"Just saying hi to Conall," Luna replied with a smile. "I have another appointment now, so I'll see you soon, Harry!" She waved and skipped out the room.

Draco turned to Harry and his smile grew bigger when he saw his lover sitting in the chair with their son bundled up against his chest.

"And how are you doing today?" Draco whispered and bent down to give Harry a soft kiss on his lips before kissing Conall on his forehead. "Hey there, little guy."

Harry made a noncommittal grunt, but didn't really pay attention to his lover; his mind still busy with coming to terms with the fact that the womb was there to stay.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked, frowning and pulled Harry's chin up so that he could face him.

Harry took a deep breath and smiled. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Draco looked at him suspiciously for a moment, but then a smile broke out on his face again. He held out his arms and Harry placed Conall in his papa's arms. "So have you thought about who you want to be Conall's godparents?" he asked, humming a bit.

"Well, obviously we can't escape from naming Daphne as his godmother," Harry smiled and Draco chuckled. "As for his godfather …" Harry hesitated a bit and Draco stopped humming, looking at him intently. "I want Snape to be his godfather if that is okay with you."

"Sev?" Draco asked surprised. "You want Severus as godfather?"

"Listen if you don't want, then we can choose someone else," Harry said hurriedly.

"No, no, Severus is fine," Draco smiled reassuringly. "I'm just surprised you chose him, that's all."

"Well, the man did help me when I was in school," Harry admitted. "And he's not such a bad guy once you get past his sarcastic comments."

Draco chuckled. "I'm sure he will be thrilled to hear he will be his godfather."

Harry snorted. "Mind you, if he does anything to hurt Conall, I will hex off his balls and shove them somewhere where the sun doesn't shine," he smiled angelically and Draco swallowed before smiling back weakly.

* * *

When Conall was a month old, Scorpius surprised them by asking a very innocent question.

"Daddy?" Scorpius began, swishing his legs back and forth, wiggling on his chair.

Harry turned around to face him and grabbed the bottle of milk, that was now ready, to give to Conall. "Yes, sweetie?"

Draco was rocking Conall back and forth, trying to calm him down while he waited for his bottle with milk which was quickly handed to his papa. They both sighed relieved when Conall stopped crying and started to suck eagerly from his bottle.

"When Conall can speak, does that mean he has to call you mummy?" Scorpius asked with huge, innocent eyes.

Harry chocked in his coffee, hastily putting the cup down to avoid spilling. "What? Why would he call me mummy?" he asked aghast.

"Because he came out of your belly," Scorpius explained as if it was obvious. "I came from my mummy's belly, so I call her mummy. Conall came out of your belly so he has to call you mummy, right?"

Harry groaned and smacked his forehead while Draco started to snigger.

"Stop laughing!" he hissed and kicked Draco against his leg underneath the table.

Draco just smirked. "Now, now, that was a reasonable question," he paused for a few seconds, "mummy."

Harry growled and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving a laughing Draco behind and a very confused Scorpius who wondered what he had said wrong.

* * *

When Conall was seven months old, the day was there to have an official wedding between Draco and Harry. Of course they were already officially bonded, but they wanted to celebrate it with their friends and family. It was also a way to show that nobody would tear them apart.

Dennis Creevey had gotten his trial five months ago and Harry had attended it, together with Draco, because he was his spouse. The trial had lasted two days and in the end the jury had decided to give Dennis the Kiss, because five Healers who had examined him had declared him unfit for society and likely to kill again should he be left free one day.

He died the day after the trial and Harry had mourned for the cheerful boy that he had once been before he had been torn apart and eaten up by hatred.

Harry shook his head and pressed down his robe. Critically he studied himself in the mirror. He was wearing a white suit with a black robe over it to signify his status as someone being wed into the Malfoy family. Draco would wear a black suit with a white robe.

Although they had been officially bonded for almost a year now, Harry couldn't squash down the butterflies that were rampaging in his stomach. Today he would marry his love in front of a public and that was something entirely else than marrying in front of their boys and old Headmistress.

"Come on, Potter, you can do it," he murmured and took a deep breath. After a couple of months of intense training he had finally gotten his abs back and he was damned proud of it. He had celebrated the return of his abs with a night full of satisfying sex, but only, of course, after he had placed the protection charm. He still hadn't told Draco about the fact that he was now able to carry children without ever swallowing a potion again. He didn't know what held him back from saying it. After all, Draco had the right to know that Harry could get pregnant again if he forgot to use protection. But the longer he kept silent about it, the more difficult it became to speak about it so in the end he just kept his mouth shut. Maybe he would tell his lover about it after the honeymoon. Maybe.

Because they had their three boys to think of and Harry's new job as a Mediwizard (which he had been doing for four months now after having passed the tests with flying colours) they had decided to keep their honeymoon short. A week was enough for them to enjoy each other's company before they would return back to their sons.

"Dad?"

He turned around when he heard Teddy's voice and smiled when he saw the boy standing in the doorway, dressed in dark blue robes, holding his little brother in his arms. Conall was babbling in his own language, giggling every time Teddy would look down at him and smile.

Conall was dressed in pure white robes.

"Teddy," Harry smiled and his son came closer, being careful not to drop his little brother.

"Draco is getting impatient," Teddy told him and took a seat on the bed, putting Conall down next to him on a pillow, absently tickling the boy's stomach, making Conall giggle louder.

"Is he now?" Harry hummed and knelt down in front of his sons. "Conall, you're going to be a good boy and don't make your two brothers tired, hm, sweetie?" he whispered and smiled when Conall babbled something that sounded like an agreement and his chubby, little hand shot out to grab Harry's nose. Harry held the tiny hand between his two fingers and kissed it, making the boy shriek with delight.

Harry laughed and turned to Teddy who was smiling at him.

"I promise to take good care of him, dad," Teddy said, letting Conall grab his pinkie and suck on it.

"I know you're going to take good care of him. You're a good brother, sweetie," Harry smiled and brushed a kiss on the boy's forehead.

Teddy blushed. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, sweetheart," Harry murmured and hugged him tightly. "But it's only for a week and then we're back again." He pulled back to look into Teddy's sea green eyes. "Are you happy, Teddy?"

A soft smile lit up the boy's face. "Yes, I'm happy, dad."

"That's good to hear," Harry smiled and stood up. "Well then, I suppose we should go downstairs before Draco gets even more impatient," he smirked and Teddy laughed.

Harry picked up Conall and took Teddy by the hand, letting him lead him to the backyard where they would hold the service.

Scorpius was standing there at the beginning of the path, a basket with flower in his hands. He had insisted on being the flower boy ever since he had seen a picture of a flower girl in one of the magazines Harry had looked through together with his wedding planner. The wedding planner was an old friend of him and although the profession seemed like such a weird choice for his friend, he was very good at it and he wouldn't have any other preparing his wedding. Currently his friend was seated next to Luna and right behind Snape who was for once not frowning or glaring.

Before the service started, Harry handed Conall to his godfather, the boy now interested in grabbing Snape's hair. After a couple of times of pulling away, Snape resigned to his fate of having his hair tugged by a little tyke who was not even one years old yet. He was becoming too soft.

Draco smiled when Harry arrived next to him at the altar and grabbed his hand. "Are you ready?"

"Of course I am. What, do you think I'm running off now?" Harry smirked, but his eyes betrayed his nervousness.

"Just making sure you really want this," Draco smiled, but even he seemed nervous.

"Believe me when I say that there is nowhere else I want to be than with you," Harry said completely serious, ignoring the flush that formed on his cheeks.

Draco smirked proudly and turned to face McGonagall who would, once again, held the service.

"Family and friends, we are here gathered today to witness the union of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Harry James Potter," she began with a smile.

* * *

"Well, at least you made sure that the little imp wasn't born out of wedlock," Blaise smirked and raised his glass with champagne to Draco who flipped him off.

"Oh bugger off," he said good naturedly.

"No; serious now, I'm happy for you, Draco," Blaise said earnestly and Draco smiled, both men watching how Harry was feeding Conall while Teddy was chattering to him. Scorpius was being cuddled by his mother just a few feet away from them.

It was time for Harry and Draco to do the traditional first dance and Teddy held out his arms to pick up Conall. It was strange how much he cared for the little boy now, while he had resented him when he was still in his father's stomach. But now he couldn't imagine his little brother out of the family, just like he couldn't imagine not having Scorpius in his family. Sure the boy still annoyed him at moments, but Teddy suspected that all little brothers did that so he didn't mind much. Besides he rather liked being the big brother.

He smiled when he heard his dad laugh happily when he and Draco began to dance. He was happy that he finally had a family of his own now.

He turned his head towards the back of the big garden when he felt a familiar pair of eyes watching him. He smiled at Conall who watched him with big, grey eyes, the same as his papa.

"What do you say of saying hello to Moony?" he asked the baby who gurgled happily.

Moony was the wolf that had rescued his dad and him from the man who had kidnapped him. He had been first made aware of the wolf's presence in the garden when he had been taking a walk a few weeks after his dad had bonded with Draco. He had been afraid first that the wolf would attack him, but instead the wolf had come towards him and had allowed him to pet him. After that day he always came to the garden to play with Teddy and Scorpius. Remembering his father's nickname when he was in school, he started calling the wolf Moony which seemed to fit him.

At least now he knew that his father was still out there to protect him.

* * *

"Scorpius, be a good boy and don't annoy Uncle Sev too much, all right?" Draco asked amused.

He and Harry would leave in a couple of minutes with a Portkey that would bring them to an island owned by the Malfoys where they would spend their honeymoon.

Scorpius pouted. "I never annoy Uncle Sev."

Severus snorted, but chose not to comment on that.

"Thanks for taking care of them while we are away," Harry smiled and handed Conall over to Snape.

"At least then they will behave," Severus smirked and rocked Conall back and forth automatically. He had been shocked when he heard that he had been chosen as the boy's godfather, by Potter no less, but he had never questioned the young man about the reasons. They had developed a mutual respect for each other throughout the months they had spent together and both trusted each other.

"Thanks anyway," Harry smiled and turned around to hug Teddy and Scorpius. "I'll see you in a week, sweeties!" He gave them each a kiss on their forehead and kissed Conall on his nose, making the boy smile.

"Does this mean that daddy will have another baby in his belly again?" Scorpius shocked them by asking that.

"Excuse me?" Harry asked, gaping. What was it with Scorpius and babies?

"Well, mummy said that after marriage comes babies, so 'cause you and papa married today, does this mean that we will get another baby soon?" Scorpius asked innocently. "Can we have a sister this time?"

"Eh, we have to think about that one, all right, Scorpius?" Draco smiled and pushed Harry towards the Portkey, a black cauldron.

"All right, papa, daddy, have fun!" Scorpius waved and they waved back before the Portkey activated and took them away to the island.

"Seriously, what is it with Scorpius and his obsession of seeing me pregnant?" Harry wondered and sat down on the bed. They had conveniently landed in the bedroom and he could smell the salty air of the sea near them.

Draco shrugged helplessly. "How should I know what that boy thinks?" He studied Harry intently. "What do you think of another baby?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Well, it's a bit too early to think about that, don't you think? Conall isn't even a year old yet."

"Yes, you're right," Draco smiled and sat down next to him. "We have plenty of time later to think about another child."

"My thoughts exactly," Harry smirked and with one quick whispered spell, their robes and suits disappeared, leaving them both completely naked.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "My, my, Harry, a bit impatient?"

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me," Harry chuckled and pulled Draco towards him, eagerly kissing the soft lips that tasted like vanilla.

They both wasted no time in exploring each other's bodies and it wasn't long before they both were flushed and sweaty all over.

"Fuck, where is that lube?" Draco cursed and shot out of the bed to search for the tube.

Harry waited until his lover was in the bathroom before he grabbed his wand and casted the protection charm – a charm which he had gotten quite adapt at. He really should start looking for charms that would last longer than one night.

"Found it!" Draco grinned triumphantly and crawled back on the bed, right between Harry's spread legs. He opened the tube and squirted the clear gel on his fingers rubbing it between his fingers to make it warm. Just when he placed his finger against Harry's entrance, his hand was grabbed and pulled back. He looked up confused. "Harry?"

Harry just smiled at him, his green eyes sparking with lust while his red, swollen, bruised lips begged to be kissed again. God, he would never get enough of this man.

"Just put the lube on your cock. I want you to take me without prep," Harry smiled and guided his hand towards his leaking cock.

Draco frowned. "Are you sure, Harry? It's going to hurt a lot," he warned him. He had only taken Harry once without preparation and that had been when he had been tied against the bed and had nothing to say about it. He didn't want to hurt his husband.

"I don't care," Harry said determined. "I want to feel you inside me now."

Draco groaned at the husky voice and wrapped his hand around his cock, spreading the lube over it, making sure he was wet enough. Harry surprised him by getting up on his hands and knees, displaying his body for Draco's lustful gaze.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Harry breathed and glanced back. "Fuck me."

That did it.

Quick as a snake Draco got up behind him and placed his right hand on Harry's hip, spreading his arse cheeks with his other hand.

"Are you ready?" he whispered and after getting the nod, he began to push forward slowly, biting his lip when he felt his cock being surrounded by tight, unbelievably tight, hot walls, squeezing down on him and making it difficult for him to go further.

With an impatient sound, Harry pushed back roughly and suddenly Draco was completely inside of him, making both men gasp and pause.

"Oh fuck, you feel so fucking tight," Draco hissed and clenched his eyes shut.

Harry shifted and tried to get used to the burning feeling. It wasn't that bad, at least Draco was fully lubed up. After the burning ceased a bit, he sighed. "Move," he muttered loud enough for Draco to hear and that was all he had to say before he felt Draco pulling out of him and entering him in one quick thrust, making him moan softly.

After a few tries, Draco managed to find his prostate and after a few encouraging words, he began to pound ruthlessly in Harry's body, making the man underneath him scream in pleasure.

Harry felt his arms buckle and let himself fall on the bed, with his arse still raised in the air thanks to Draco's forceful grip. He screamed again when a particular hard thrust rammed against his prostate and he felt his body shudder and tremble with each thrust that his lover delivered. God, he loved the feeling of Draco filling him up completely.

"Draco, Draco, Draco," he began to chant and choked on air when Draco reached underneath him and started to stroke his cock, making Harry hesitate between pushing back against the hard cock in his arse or the hand covering his own cock.

"Come on, baby, I want to see you come," Draco whispered in his ear huskily and just a few strokes later, Harry was coming violently, screaming his throat hoarse and seeing nothing but a blinding light.

When he came by, Draco was still thrusting inside of him and with the next thrust, he squeezed down on the hard, throbbing cock and that was enough to make Draco gasp his name and coming in him, filling him up with his seed.

"Fuck, that was incredible," Harry sighed and snuggled in Draco's arms after he had pulled out of him. His whole body felt sore as hell, but he welcomed the pain, relishing in it, knowing it came from very satisfying sex.

"Did I hurt you much?" Draco asked worriedly. He had been rougher than usual and that combined with the fact that he hadn't stretched Harry made him afraid he had hurt Harry.

"Stop worrying; I'm fine," Harry smiled and gave him a slow kiss, showing him his love.

"You're going to be the death of me, Potter," Draco sighed.

Harry laughed. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Another smile was shared, another kiss and then the newlywed couple fell asleep in each other's arms, their legs tangled together.

**Author's Note:**

> So what do you think of this chapter? ^^ I hope you liked it!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [All I want for Christmas](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2890121) by [LittleYepa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleYepa/pseuds/LittleYepa)




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